Liverpool 2010/11 Season Thread

[hudson]

Got my new Liverpool away kit today. Lovely stuff. Can't wait to wear it at footy next week

[saif]

Is Glen Johnson coming? I like him, good player and all that and I am fairly certain that the fee is being overstated (as it has been with Liverpool buys) but is it a good deal for the team? GJ + DK is what I think about and it may work better as Johnson is faster and Kuyt can track back. But Kuyt scored a good number of goals from RM and so that may be curtailed - his crossing has been very effective too. I am not sure about this, but his pace will help.
17m is too much though for me - that is our whole budget I think and includes sales out.

[hudson]

I dunno. Could be all smoke and mirrors. The lack of funds and even Glen Johnson. We'll just have to wait and see. Rafa hasn't come out complaining about lack of money much either. Something he's done a bit of in the past.

[SharkSkin-Man]

Because Portsmouth still owe the club money, the actual cash payout wouldn't be too severe I guess. We'd probably still have another £10m to play with.

I'm pretty certain Rafa has described the money situation as 'not fantastic' in a recent interview.

[Tetsuo]

17m does seem very steep, and although Johnson is a better crosser of the ball, I would say that Arbeloa is doing a fine enough job for us at RB as it is, no?

[SharkSkin-Man]

Rumours last season that Alvaro's Missus fancied going back home...

[Adrock]

Arbeloa will be allowed to go to Real Madrid for just under £10mil I reckon.

Whilst Arbeloa is definitely rock solid in terms of defensive capabilities his attacking prowess leaves something to be desire, imo. Thats where Glenn Johnson will be different, he'll get up and down and hopefully provide good crossing and also decent interplay with Kuyt.

The problem with the fee is that Man City are reportedly involved. Portsmouth need money but at the same time City are probably offering a lot.

[hudson]

Is Glen Johnson much of a defender?

I disagree with you, Adrock. Arbeloa's strength is his attacking game.

[saif]

In all his time, I have not seen a single attacker give Arbeloa a seeing to - not once has he seemed out of his depth. I think he is a good player - underrated. He has been beaten a few time but not consistently in his Liverpool career. Johnson will bring attacks and pace but Arbeloas attacking is also good. Not with the ball, mind, he supports Kuyt well with overlaps and times his runs well. I rate him but Johnson, as a player may be better. I am more worried about the combination with Kuyt though.

[abigsmurf]

Is Glen Johnson much of a defender?

I disagree with you, Adrock. Arbeloa's strength is his attacking game.

He wasn't good enough for Chelsea, he's improved but I don't think he's the quality player Liverpool need. You don't spend ?18.5mill for cover for that position either. I'd say it's a questionable buy.

[hudson]

He wasn't good enough for Chelsea, he's improved but I don't think he's the quality player Liverpool need. You don't spend £18.5mill for cover for that position either. I'd say it's a questionable buy.

To be honest, last season he was excellent. Rafa turned a not so prolific striker called Torres into a deadly striker when he brought him in. He's moulded Kuyt into something other than a striker, but for the best.

Maybe Johnson will be tranformed into an elite goalkeeper lol.

[saif]

However much it is, its a lot.
Johnson is a far better player than he was at Chelsea - at Chelsea, and West Ham, he was prone to error and old-Rio style mincing due to lack of concentration. That, he does not do anymore. Well, much.
Rafa's buys from the Premiership have been fair to middling at best - his best buys have all been about working out who will fit in and who won't. Benitez is fairly quick to get rid of players he feeds will not cut where possible but there is always gonna be a bit of luck as well as judgement with his buys as he expects his players to be aware of what is around them. His best *buys* are from abroad apart from Crouchinho who was always vastly underrated for his ability to bring play together. I think instinctive players will not work under Rafa - even El Nino is not the all-out goalgetter he is seen to be by the media. He works the defence really hard and opens up play for the team with his movement.
Rafa does not like the "head-down and go" players and I think that shows in the types of players that have not done too well under him: Cisse, Bellamy, Pennant, Keane, (bit different - he always looked up and then got tackled or lost it), Gonzalez, Babel(?), Momo (by the end). That is why I am not sure about Johnson - he is quite talented but that is not enough for Rafa. Ironically, one of his best - Masch - seems to those not in the know to BE a heads down player but his running is also quite composed.

[EJG1980]

Be seeing you lot at The Lane on the opening day

[SharkSkin-Man]

FFS, we haven't started with a home game for 7 years.

[EJG1980]

FFS, we haven't started with a home game for 7 years.

Blimey that's a bit crap. And to think I was annoyed after we had four seasons of kicking off away!

The last time we kicked off at home (04/05) was against Liverpool too.