Liverpool Football Club Thread

[Chewylegs]

I'm with you dizogg. I'm looking forward to seeing Firmino and Coutinho link up, with Milner powering through the middle to get goals from midfield and Benteke muscling his way through the best of defences!

I'm on a flight to New York when the Stoke game is on but had a dream last night I landed and found out we won 2-4!

[Commander Jameson]

I think Sturridge is out until October and that is to get back into training. I'm not expecting him to play until November at least.

[Stig]

Where does Can fit into this squad then? I get a terrible feeling he's gonna be sidelined a lot.

[carlito]

I would be really excited if I was a Liverpool fan. I think you have bought really well in areas you were short and you've held on to players who look likely to improve.

I also think there is a good chance some of the players who have, to a degree, been written off as failures could also improve. Lovren, Lallana, Balotelli, Markovic etc have all shown enough in their careers to show they aren't mugs.

[feltmonkey]

Milner powering through the middle to get goals from midfield

Have you ever actually seen Milner play? He's a really good player, but that's never been his game. He'll keep possession, and play some very intelligent creative balls in the last third, but he's not going to be charging through like Gerrard or Viera.

[Istanbul]

Where does Can fit into this squad then? I get a terrible feeling he's gonna be sidelined a lot.

I'm confident he'll start DM in a 4-1-2-2-1 formation (or 4-3-3 to be less exact).

In games were we want to go more attacking, it may be more a 4-2-3-1. Removing that outright DM position, but he could still have a place in midfield.

He is a huge talent though, so if he doesn't play, it would be disappointing.

[JamesTW]

If Can plays in midfield, that's 2 places used up with Hendo being captain guaranteed to play, then (when everyone fit) got to cram Milner, Coutinho, Sturridge, Bentake & Firmino who probably all expect to start into 4 positions, that's without mentioning Lallana, Ings, Origi, Ibe, Markovic & er Balotelli, good job were in Europe!

[Chewylegs]

Have you ever actually seen Milner play? He's a really good player, but that's never been his game. He'll keep possession, and play some very intelligent creative balls in the last third, but he's not going to be charging through like Gerrard or Viera.

Jeez, I was just trying to be upbeat!

We're see though won't we, he'll get goals I'm sure of it.

[Istanbul]

Jeez, I was just trying to be upbeat!

We're see though won't we, he'll get goals I'm sure of it.

Milner has specifically mentioned in interviews that he feels that playing in the centre (which was one of the reasons he chose us), will allow him to get forward more and chip in with a few more goals. So, even if he hasn't done it in the past, it is something he feels he can do and will be trying this season. Actually doing it though is of course, a totally different thing than thinking you can.

[Azrael]

I see the team lining up as:

----------- Mignolet

Clyne - Skrtel - Sakho - Moreno

-------------- Can

------- Hendo --- Milner

----- Firmino ----- Couts

---------- Benteke

B Team:

----------------- Bogdan

-- Gomez -- Kolo -- Lovren -- Enrique

----------------- Lucas

----------- Allen ------ Lallana

---- Markovic -- Ings --- Ibe

[JohnnyNolan]

Is Sturridge in the C team or are we just writing him off as injured all season?

[Istanbul]

I'd honestly write him off until he has proved that he can stay fit for a decent run of games. Treat it like a bonus if he does manage to stay fit...which I of course hope he does, excellent player. Dynamic, explosive and dangerous.

I reckon the team Azrael picked first will be the one that starts against Stoke (barring injuries) with the possible exception of Firmino for Lallana, just because he hasn't even kicked a ball for us yet, or in the Premier League. Though Brendan does like to throw them in! In the long run, that is the team though.

[davidcotton]

I think Sturridge is out until October and that is to get back into training. I'm not expecting him to play until November at least.

Might as well give him to January then, then he'll be like a new signing

[davidcotton]

Have you ever actually seen Milner play? He's a really good player, but that's never been his game. He'll keep possession, and play some very intelligent creative balls in the last third, but he's not going to be charging through like Gerrard or Viera.

I've always felt slightly sorry for Milner. Keep's his head down, never on the front pages for any sort of trouble, Low mileage sort of player and yet doesn't seem to get the credit he deserve's. If there were more footballers with his sort of attitude in the modern game football would be a lot better off frankly.

[DonJuan]

Milner got big credit during Leeds and Villa days. When he at Newcastle and Man City, those teams craved "sexy football" so he was less visible. He never lost the quality though, glad that he at Anfield where graft and craft equally valued.

[ryodi]

Borini, Balotelli and Enrique have been left out of the remaining preseason games.

[Istanbul]

Borini, Balotelli and Enrique have been left out of the remaining preseason games.

Not happy with the way they are being treated to be honest. True, I want them gone (less so Enrique) as I don't think Borini is good enough and I don't think Balo fits at all...but, the way we are handling it seems very poor. I don't like to see players - supposedly - told to train on their own away from the squad either. I know time is short and we want them moved on, but imagine our other players seeing the way these players are being treated, it would certainly worry me a little. On the other hand, Borini was told to move on last season, we had a £14m on the table and he refused to go (largely due to his missus), instead choosing to stay an extremely small bit part player. So, I understand the club's stance...but it doesn't sit right at times.

[DeNeo]

I suppose it's to try and get them to lower their wage demands, by telling them they have absolutely no chance of playing for us again.

Seems a very harsh way of doing it. It's not like they've done anything wrong.

[ryodi]

Borini stayed because he didn't want to move to Sunderland where he would face an inevitable relegation battle. Balotelli has behaved all season and just been woefully misused by Rodgers so he ended up getting barely any service when he played. As for Enrique I've no idea what he's done wrong, just because we've signed a replacement doesn't mean he should be banished. It leaves a bad taste as has been said.

[JohnnyNolan]

I doubt it's a case of "done wrong" and more a case of balancing the books. When you get permission to and buy six/seven players you can bet that you're also told to get rid of a handful of players who aren't in your first team plans.

[Commander Jameson]

If your agent is happy to look for a move for you when you're still wanted by a club, then they should be equally happy to look for a move when you're not wanted.

[Chewylegs]

All 3 should go in my opinion and Balotelli especially has done nothing to prove he should be given another chance

[Keiths_Dad]

Honestly, Balotelli has done nothing to deserve being chucked out after a season. He's behaved off the pitch (misjudged Super Mario picture aside), he's always spoken well about the club, and he's been misused constantly. There's already evidence to show he can work well with Sturridge, and a front line of Benteke and Balotelli would be able to bully most defences. I'm disappointed in how the club are treating him (and the others) and I'll be disappointed if he leaves.

[DeNeo]

I doubt it's a case of "done wrong" and more a case of balancing the books. When you get permission to and buy six/seven players you can bet that you're also told to get rid of a handful of players who aren't in your first team plans.

Oh yeah, I can completely see why they're leaving, just seems a bit of a harsh way to go about it. Players train on their own when they've done something bad, not when they're just not wanted by the manager.

[DeNeo]

In other news, our squad for tomorrow is:

Chirivella, Clyne, Coutinho, Fulton, Gomez, Henderson, Ibe, Ings, Kent, Lallana, Lovren, Maguire, Mignolet, Milner, Origi, Skrtel.

Which says to me our likely first choice for Stoke will be:

Mignolet

Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Gomez,

Henderson, Milner, Coutinho,

Ibe, Ings, Lallana

[Oh Danny Boy]

I'd thought Gomez would go out on loan but it seems like he has proven himself preseason but good enough to start in the first eleven? Plus you don't spend £32m on a premiership proven goalscorer not to start him in every game possible. And if Sakho is fit he'll certainly start ahead of Lovren. Some players are just being rested.

Shame about Balo, I've never witnessed a high profile player brought into the club and then disposed of so unceremoniously so quickly. I still think that he should be given another year. I wonder if something has happened behind the scenes to make the manager want to get rid as quickly as possible.

[ryodi]

He didn't treat Borini like this last season when he refused to move. Perhaps it's just a change in Rodgers attitude knowing this will be his defining season at the club.

[Dom B]

In other news, our squad for tomorrow is:

Chirivella, Clyne, Coutinho, Fulton, Gomez, Henderson, Ibe, Ings, Kent, Lallana, Lovren, Maguire, Mignolet, Milner, Origi, Skrtel.

Which says to me our likely first choice for Stoke will be:

Mignolet

Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Gomez,

Henderson, Milner, Coutinho,

Ibe, Ings, Lallana

Not sure you can deduce too much about Stoke from that squad as there is another friendly on Sunday against Swindon which will presumably feature Benteke, Firminho, Sakho, Lucas, Can, Moreno etc

[Stig]

There no way Benteke isn't starting over Ings, not after the money we've paid.

[DeNeo]

It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he didn't - Benteke only started training with the rest of the squad this week. (As did Coutinho, but obviously he's used to Rodgers' methods.)

Yeah, he could be sparing him, Firmino, Sakho and Moreno a trip, but I bet the starting line-up isn't too far from what I posted.