The BigFooty Liverpool Army

[Zidane98]

Big game in a few days vs 6th placed Arsenal. A win could see us go up to 7th, A loss could makes us 13th. Lovren and Johnson are no loss.

Coutinho-------Sterling------Lallana
-----------------Gerrard--------------
Henderson------Lucas------Markovic
--------Sakho---Skrtel---Toure------
------------------Jones----------------

Subs: Mignolet, Manquillo, Moreno, Can, Allen, Borini, Lambert

No Balotelli? Surely earnt a starting position after his performance at OT. Not sure playing a back 3 is a good idea against Arsenal.

I'd go with:


----------------------Jones--------------------

---Toure---------Skrtel------Sakho-------Moreno

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

-------Henderson-----------Markovic-------

-----------------Gerrard---------------

-----------Sterling----------Balotelli


Coutinho on for Markovic if he isn't having a good game. Lallana for Gerrard after 60 mins and stick Lambo in for Mario if he isn't pulling his weight.

 

[RossFC]

No Balotelli? Surely earnt a starting position after his performance at OT. Not sure playing a back 3 is a good idea against Arsenal.
I'd go with:
----------------------Jones--------------------
---Toure---------Skrtel------Sakho-------Moreno
-----------------Lucas-----------
-------Henderson-----------Markovic-------
-----------------Gerrard---------------
-----------Sterling----------Balotelli
Coutinho on for Markovic if he isn't having a good game. Lallana for Gerrard after 60 mins and stick Lambo in for Mario if he isn't pulling his weight.

Although Mario is due to come back from his injury the day before the game, I left him out of the squad because i'm not 100% sure if he's gonna play.

Would put him up front with Sterling as well if he was fit. (Probably at the expense of Coutinho).

I put 3 at the back because I think having Henderson and Markovic on each side of defensive midfield with Lucas in the middle is better than Moreno and Manquillo at left and right back.

 

[Dylan8]

Markovic in midfield?

 

[FAITH]

Lol.

A 15 year old on 135k a week yet we apparently wont pay our best player in Sterling, 70k a week. Where do the papers come up with this rubbish.

are you sure its not 13.5k?

 

[ADL9798]

I think Dylan is saying that he has nothing against Markovic per se, he just feels (as do many, including me) that if we were going to buy a winger then we should have brought in a more established winger that could have come in and hit the ground running, particularly when you consider that Sterling was only 19 himself at the time (just turned 20). Going into the season with just Sterling and an inexperienced and unproven Markovic seemed irresponsible at the time and still is, particularly given the workload that Sterling has been forced to endure. If we were going to buy Markovic anyway then his signing should have been supplemented with the acquisition of a more proven winger who could play alongside/rotate with Sterling and Markovic and actually be expected to make an instant impact. I don't think anyone was ever writing Markovic off for good.

Yep I agree with that. I think that player was supposed to be Alexis Sanchez!

Of course once we missed out on Sanchez we could have thrown the cash at everyone and anyone in the hope that we would land one of the few remaining available (this is important - the list of players in that position that would fit our criteria, are for sale and actually want to leave their club may not be a long one), experienced, quality wide forward/wingers in, but then I think we've seen in the past what can happen when you buy a player for the sake of it with seemingly no consideration given to whether they're actually going to fit into the side.

Suppose as the rumours suggest we identified Shaqiri as the backup option if Sanchez fell through, but Bayern didn't want to sell him at the time? Do we just throw the cash at someone else for the sake of bringing someone in, or do we bide our time and try to pick up the man we actually want in the next window when his circumstances at Bayern might have changed as Beckenbauer seems to be indicating with those recent quotes? If we're in the business of caring about how our club spends it's money then surely the latter approach would seem to be a sensible one, as impatient for success as we all are!

 

[RossFC]

 

[Sozabarus]

Well he did have a knack of picking him out.

 

[BlueBen]

Yep I agree with that. I think that player was supposed to be Alexis Sanchez!

Of course once we missed out on Sanchez we could have thrown the cash at everyone and anyone in the hope that we would land one of the few remaining available (this is important - the list of players in that position that would fit our criteria, are for sale and actually want to leave their club may not be a long one), experienced, quality wide forward/wingers in, but then I think we've seen in the past what can happen when you buy a player for the sake of it with seemingly no consideration given to whether they're actually going to fit into the side.

Suppose as the rumours suggest we identified Shaqiri as the backup option if Sanchez fell through, but Bayern didn't want to sell him at the time? Do we just throw the cash at someone else for the sake of bringing someone in, or do we bide our time and try to pick up the man we actually want in the next window when his circumstances at Bayern might have changed as Beckenbauer seems to be indicating with those recent quotes? If we're in the business of caring about how our club spends it's money then surely the latter approach would seem to be a sensible one, as impatient for success as we all are!

I understand what you're saying. But I think you're making it sound like a false dilemma.

I don't buy the suggestion that the only player in the world who would have fit our desired criteria was Alexis Sanchez. He might have been the best option - but that doesn't mean that because we couldn't get him, that there was nobody else who was suitable for our needs out there. It didn't have to be Sanchez or bust. We have scouts stationed all over Europe who watch the various leagues with a view to helping the management team identify suitable talent that is realistically attainable for the club. On top of that, we have the much-publicised "transfer committee" - so we obviously don't lack manpower or resources when it comes to identifying and assessing players. If the combined efforts of all of these people can not identify more than one suitable player (two if you include Shaqiri, who I reckon was gettable if we were truly prepared to go for it) then are they really doing their jobs? Are the criteria that the club is setting too restrictive?

I'm sure we would all want the club to be sensible about how and when it spends its money, but the problem with "biding our time" is that doing so opens up opportunities for third parties to become involved and hijack our plans. In relation to Shaqiri specifically, I'm sure you'll have seen the recent reports linking him to other clubs - so waiting it out doesn't necessarily improve our chances of securing the player at a later date, and can actually reduce them. If we really wanted the player to begin with, then it is arguably even more risky to assume that something can be worked out down the track than it is to pay slightly over our ideal valuation, if need be, of the player at the time. So there is also an argument for striking while the iron is hot.

 

[jod23]

Big game in a few days vs 6th placed Arsenal. A win could see us go up to 7th, A loss could makes us 13th. Lovren and Johnson are no loss.

Coutinho-------Sterling------Lallana
-----------------Gerrard--------------
Henderson------Lucas------Markovic
--------Sakho---Skrtel---Toure------
------------------Jones----------------

Subs: Mignolet, Manquillo, Moreno, Can, Allen, Borini, Lambert

No Balotelli? Surely earnt a starting position after his performance at OT. Not sure playing a back 3 is a good idea against Arsenal.

I'd go with:


----------------------Jones--------------------

---Toure---------Skrtel------Sakho-------Moreno

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

-------Henderson-----------Markovic-------

-----------------Gerrard---------------

-----------Sterling----------Balotelli


Coutinho on for Markovic if he isn't having a good game. Lallana for Gerrard after 60 mins and stick Lambo in for Mario if he isn't pulling his weight.

It's a tough decision. The way we played against Bournemouth is the first time since Spurs away we have looked dangerous and looked to have goals in us. But it was Bournemouth, not Arsenal. So going three at the back could be a disaster.

If we do go back to some kind of diamond then I cant see Markovic in midfield alongside Henderson. Rodgers would probably go with Allen or Gerrard next to Hendo and Coutinho in front. Even though id like to see Markovic start. It means Balo has to come out for me with Sterling leading the line.

 

[moomba]

Mario banned for the Arsenal game.

Surprising.

 

[Kaan]

What a joke.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

Lol
I feel sorry for Mario sometimes.

 

[Spanish Sahara]

That's rubbish

 

[Zidane98]

Mario banned for the Arsenal game.

Surprising.

I don't understand how he can be banned from playing football for something that happened off the football pitch. A fine I can understand.
Is there a precedent for the FA banning a footballer for something that happened off the football pitch? Always been a fine in the past.

 

[Zidane98]

Political correctness has gone mad over there moomba . I'm over there for the Utd game on 21st March @ Anfield. I'm not saying anything to anyone!!!

 

[Milenko]

Pathetic decision

Make him do community service instead or something, far out

 

[Zidane98]

Pathetic decision

Make him do community service instead or something, far out

He is required to do an educational course. FA making its own rules these days it seems. What Rio did was far, far worse and he was slapped with a fine only.

 

[craigos]

What a load of rubbish, if was an English player he would have been fine(d).

 

[moomba]

Rio was suspended for three games over the "sexist" tweet. Thats the only time I can recall anyone being suspended over a non-match incident. And that was mainly because he didnt bother responding to the FA charge.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

We've offered 15 year old Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca 135K a week according to rumours

He's been dubbed the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic by Italian media

It's an annual salary, and have you see the size of him? Talk about a man child.

 

[ADL9798]

Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana & Lazar Markovic vs Bournemouth:




1. Raheem has done really well in that central role in the last few games, he's such an intelligent player and with the exception of height he obviously has all the attributes you'd want in a false 9. When Sturridge returns he might be pushed out wide again but he's creating so many opportunities for himself, this stint will be great for him in terms of developing his composure in front of goal.
2. Lallana - dodgy haircut but my god that first touch is exquisite.
3. We have to keep playing Markovic while he's in this vein of form. Causing sides real problems at the moment.

 

[Zidane98]

Rio was suspended for three games over the "sexist" tweet. Thats the only time I can recall anyone being suspended over a non-match incident. And that was mainly because he didnt bother responding to the FA charge.

It does seem just a little absurd. At what point does the authority of the FA to suspend a footballer from playing stop?

If a footballer gets a speeding fine are we going to see them suspended from football? There needs to be clear and concise rules on this

 

[FAITH]

why always marquee?
seems harsh

 

[peternorth]

if mario was at another club id be supporting the decision, if not asking for a harsher penalty.

but he's our mario so im up in arms about it

 

[Leiviathan]

It does seem just a little absurd. At what point does the authority of the FA to suspend a footballer from playing stop?

If a footballer gets a speeding fine are we going to see them suspended from football? There needs to be clear and concise rules on this

If their was a campaign to stamp out speeding fines in football then yes, they probably would.