Liverpool 2010/11 Season Thread

[Adrock]

If Cole was still at Chelsea and a swap for Benayoun was what just happened I'd have thought Liverpool got the better deal.

As it is, I think Liverpool have done well to sell Yossi and get Cole on a free. Maybe the system is shaping up as Cole behind Torres with Gerrard, Aquilani and Lucas as the central midfield choices.

I'd be happy with that, at the moment. Also, according to Hodgson the Insua and Riera sales were already progressing before he arrived at the club. Lets hope he gets a very good left back and we have a youngster who can be back up.

Agger could also do a fill in role if required, he looked quite comfortable out there at the end of the season.

[SharkSkin-Man]

We need two left-backs.
Can't go into the season with Jack Robinson as backup, 16 is just too young.

[Adrock]

Yeah that is quite true. We have Mavinga, he was a new signing in 2009. Hopefully he has some promise.

Its surprising how few left sided players the squad and reserves currently consist of.

[SharkSkin-Man]

As well as Joe Cole, we've also been given a nice price increase on match tickets today ranging from 5% - 16% depending on the game and stand.

The people's game...*sigh*

[nakamura]

At 29 I'm sure he'd prefer just being able to play every week. I expected him to go to Spurs given that Harry is there and they have CL football this season but given they play 4-4-2 he would have been battling Modric and Lennon to get a game so it makes sense to join us as I'm sure he'll be a first team regular

At 29 I am sure he went to the club offering the 4 year contract with a decent pay packet. I hope he turns out to be good though, he is a great player when on form.

[merf]

I always believe he's a good player but when was the last time he managed to string 25 league appearances together in a season, seems its always either injury or lack of manager faith that does for him.

Seems an ok bit of business swapping him for Bossy Yanayoun and financially should work out flat with the fee paid offsetting Cole's higher wages.

Think Hodgson is the key as he likes a settled team and will play him if fit, on the pitch Gerrard is the main problem though, he basically demands a whole team is structured around his at yet unfound 'best position' so not sure where Cole fits in.

[SharkSkin-Man]

He made 25 appearances last season I think.

He's had two injuries (proper ones) in his career so far.
Missed a lot of 06/07 with a badly broken foot and a lot of 08/09 with cruciate ligament rupture. The only two seasons since he became established that he has made less than 25 appearances in the league.

I'm not really sure he's what we need, but I think the injury prone tag he has had attached to him is probably unfair.


He's 28 btw.

[merf]

my impression of him is a player who gets a lot of niggly injuries meaning he rarely strings together a lot of appearances.

I also wonder how many appearances as Chelsea were as a starter, rather than off the bench.

[SharkSkin-Man]

I'm sure we can turn him into a proper injury prone player with a bit of time.

We've had some of the greats in that area - he'll have to go some to equal Harry Kewell and Aurelio. I don't think Aurelio has ever played 30 league games in his entire career, which is pretty incredible.

[SharkSkin-Man]

I also wonder how many appearances as Chelsea were as a starter, rather than off the bench.

181 Games, 122 Starts.

[SharkSkin-Man]

Fans flock to greet Albert Riera

[PH2]

Rumours on Spurs forums that Liverpool have enquired about Assou-Ekotto.

[Hombre]

Hunterlaar/Babel swap?

http://www.thisisanfield.com/blog/2010/07/22/huntelaarbabel-swap-deal-ahead-reports/

[Hombre]

HODGSON MISTAKES COLE FOR GRANDSON

LIVERPOOL boss Roy Hodgson has unsettled new signing Joe Cole by repeatedly asking whether he's Sylvia or Enid's lad.

The veteran manager masterminded Cole's ?90k-a-week contract but has been seen giving him ?5 and telling him not to tell his mother.

The money was apparently handed over on the understanding it was to be spent on a book about the Royal Navy.

Hodgson said: "They all seem lovely here and my room's right next to the conveniences. But the main thing is having family like young Joseph around. I remember when he was this big and I was wiping his bum for him."

He added: "I used to manage that Fulham, you know. Way before you were born, I imagine. Of course in those days they were called Fulham Academical Sporting Club and all the players were gentlemen who wouldn't dream of cheeking the ref or raising his hat to another player's wife without permission."

Although Hodgson is understood to earn significantly less than predecessor Benitez, the club has been faced with the added expense of putting handles next to everything and fitting Anfield with 1200 yards of stairlift.

After capturing Cole, Hodgson's other targets are believed to include Sir Stanley Matthews and Albert 'the Motor Car' Perkins, the only Englishman to score a hat-trick at Wembley, a century at Lord's and bag a dozen fuzzy-wuzzies at the Seige of Tebbit's Drift.

Liverpool chief executive, Christian Purslow, said: "We still think we have the right man for the job despite the odour and the constant shouting.

"And we're all looking forward to the first match against Man United, not least because the two dugouts are going to look like Statler and Waldorf but with a lot more c-words and Glaswegian-ness."

[abigsmurf]

Liverpool will be playing Rabotnicki in the Europa.

Better watch out for their Badniks