NeilR

Seems mad to sell Pepe. As others have said we can't take for granted how hard top keepers are to find. If we do sell him I hope it's not for the likes of vorm. Begovic seems decent but prices quoted have been high. Germany would be a good place to look as they seem to be over flowing with very good keepers at the moment

Would be a very good buy, especially at the £10m being touted. The type of player and option we are lacking currently.

Never thought of that. Could be a good call. We brought Bellamy in from them that way. Do that and buy a serious good younger CB and it gives us cover in both CB and LB. Can be a threat from corners too, which is something we don't have a lot of.

This summer really is a massive one for Brendan Rogers and his Liverpool career and he knows it. This season was a bedding in period. A season of grace where he will be forgiven for how things have panned out this year as he is trying to make the side and how it plays his own. Its not an easy thing to do! He's had the 2 transfer windows to try and establish that base. Now he needs to kick on next season and I think everyone will expect more of him, so he needs to get his summer business right. January's business was very good and astute, and we need more of this as funds will be no doubt limited but we'll arguably need to make 4 signings which are better than what we have in their positions in our starting lineup. No point going for squad fillers at this point either because if we stagnate and finish 6th or 7th again, regardless of an FA cup or League Cup win, he'll have lost the fans in my opinion. Buy quality and the current starting players become the back ups. Then everything improves. I know, its so obvious but not always what happens. I personally like what he is trying to achieve and have seen glimmers of hope in where we are going. Just need to become more clinical and consistent and we'll only do that with 4 very good signings. everyone has their own take on where we should buy with the limited funding (can't go out and get a whole new team). My personal take is we need:- - 1 aerially dominant center back (Kelly and Wisdom can become the cover here, but I could consider 2 purchases here). - 1 powerhouse central midfielder who can put himself about and win a tackle (we have plenty of the other type of CMs but none of this kind). - 1 right sided wing forward who can be a goal threat (Downing replacement with more of a cutting edge). - If we only purchase 1 new CB then I'd add 1 left back (we have several players who can play RB and the likes of McLaughlin coming through, but only 1 real LB, who we can either improve on or give stronger competition to and ample backup).

Sausage rolls and tea cakes! Don't know about beverages yet.

Anyone know much about this young Sporting Lisbon defender we are linked with over the last few days or seen him play? http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/462817/20130430/liverpool-sporting-rodgers-illori-defender.htm The only thing I've heard about him is he's meant to be extremely quick, but have no idea what his defensive abilities are like.

I don't think we actually need an in the hole player as an immediate priority and not sure why we are after the likes of Erikson. We have Gerrard and Henderson who can play the AM role, Coutinho who can move inwards into that spot, Suarez can drop back into it, and there are also younger players like Suso who seem to fit that role eventually. Others have mentioned bringing in another center forward, but Suarez, Borini and Sturridge can all play there in that 1 slot we use. For me it is more important with our limited resources, we bring in a right sided forward / winger to improve on Downing (someone who is more of a goal threat but keeping Stewie in the squad), and a physical beast Cm and another physical beast CB. I think getting very good quality to fill those roles, would give us a really strong squad with options. Yes, cover elsewhere (e.g. left back) would always be nice. But I think we should be at the point where strengthening the starting 11 is the priority.

I agree, which is why they are doing this just submit your written statements thing. How can you defend yourself properly if you cannot answer the claims. Imaging going into a court of law and judgement just being made on previously written statements, with no opportunity to answer the other. Plenty of others have been allowed personal hearings. If this was just a straight forward matter or say a two footed tackle missed by the ref, then this fast track procedure is fine. But this one is obviously not straightforward as they admit themselves they are looking for more then the standard 3 match ban. Stitch up!

Thats it in a nut shell. If it wasn't serious enough then to be exceptional, then it shouldnt be now and a 3 game ban it is. But the FA do what they want when they want and they'll go with the 7 game ban they did in Holland so they dont appear to be taking a weaker stance.

Agree, we seem to cope ok of its a football game, but we seem a bit ligt when teams put it up to us pysically. I think a good balace would be to have the type of attacking players we have now (i.e. Suarez, Sturridge, Coutinho, Sterling etc), but we need to add some steel in defensive CM and CB. A dominant CB in the Hyypia / Vidic mould and cultured sh1thouse in the middle of the park like Yaya Toure. 2 players of that ilk would make a hell of a difference to us next season.

I think Rogers still has a fair bit of rebuilding to do. He's made steps in the right direction but where the squad was when he took over required a lot of improving. The way I see it we need:- - 2 CBs: Carra retiring, Skertl seems to be on his way, and Coates doesn't appear to be in Rogers thinking. Wisdom and Kelly can help cover here but we need a real physical presence to partner Agger. We could take a risk and just bring 1 very top one at this stage. - DM: Partner for Lucas who can do a real destroying defensive job. Wanyama would be a good target here. - RW: Still not 100% convinced by Downing. Hes certainly improved in recent weeks, but don't think he'll ever be the top notch we need. I'd be happy if he can stay withing the squad though as he can cover several positions. If we can bring in a player in addition like Erikson who we are heavily linked, with a view to him being Gerrards long term successor in the 1 forward midfielder role, then great. just dont know if we could do the 3 points above plus this one cash wise. I've toyed with do we / dont we need a LB, but for this summer and considering we have already many more important sports to bring in, I'll put that one off til a later window. Enrique is first choice. Johnson, Agger, Downing can cover it and the likes of Robinson can play there. Similarily with striker. I think it would nice to have another one, but after we bought Sturridge, Suarez can play up top, Borini coming back, I think we have enough for now but could look at it again later.

Personally, with us going more attacking under Rogers and full backs pushing on, I think we look better with a 2 deeper+1 more forward in midfield. It suits Lucas to be one of the deeper ones and as pointed out before, I think his best games come when he has a partner beside him. I'd still argue Gerrard is better suited to the forward 1 of the three, despite doing a great job this season deeper. I think the reason he is deeper is the lack of a batter partner for Lucas. Allen was supposed to be it but it hasn't panned out that way for him this season. Looking at reasonable options, the Wanyama link would be an excellent target for the partner beside Lucas, as he can be the destroyer but is also capable of pushing up too. Fernando Reges would also be a good option but would be the more defensive of the 2 and allow Lucas to get forward a bit more. He could be costly though. I do think it is a position we need to recruit in during the summer and as we have quite a few central midfielders of one type or another, I wouldn't be surprised to see one or two being sold.

Anyone got animated gifs or videos of the following not awarded penalties yet:- 1. The pull on Coutinho in the first half. 2. Vertognen's trip on Sturridge. 3. Vertognen's tackle on Johnson. All clear penalties in my eyes, but not seen any pundits run through them all strangely. If they did, I dont think any of them could be denied. Refs wouldn't have the bottle to award them all anyway! A lot of people are saying Spurs were unlucky not to win due to their mistakes for the 2nd & 3rd goals. But If you take it we could have had 4 penalties and their 2 goals came from 2 wrong frees (with the assisting player for the first being allowd onto the pitch when he shouldnt), I dont think we were that lucky at all. Pretty unlucky actually ;-)

Coutinho one in the first half was the other one

4 stonewall penalties for us, only 1 given! Inept again. Very poor throughout the game as well. Their 2 goals came from incorrect fouls too. Glad it didn't cost us for once

Biggest worry for me is the type of goal they scored against arsenal. Think we've looked open to that kind of run all season. Dont know if its our system but Lets hope we don't switch off momentarily to allow it to happen

Credit where credit is due, he was immense when called upon today. Classic Pepe.

Danny wasn't getting across had Pepe stayed back. The only chance he had was to meet him like he did & try to slow him or make him go around him, giving agger time to get back. Pepe could have done better with some goals this season but this 1 wasn't one of them!

I wouldn't want Pepe to go. But if his head is turned by Barca and we get a decent fee then it'll be hard to stop the move happening. A few years ago I'd have thought we'd struggle to replace him. But his form has dipped ever since Valeo left as his coach really. Still a top keeper though and his presence in the dressing room is a big positive also. Selling him though might be a way to generate a few million spare cash for investment in other areas though and still have a very good keeper on board. Germany is coming down with a load of good young keepers, and any of Ter Stegen, Zieler, Trapp, Kraft, Leno and Baumann have all very good potential whilst capable of doing a good job already. Rene Adler is older at 27ish but thats not too old in keeper terms and you could argue is when he is approaching his peak years. Closer to home, Begovic has been excellent for a while now, and has the added experience of being used to the premier league already.

I'd take a draw. May seem a bit pessimistic, but I can't see us winning with Webb as ref. in a tight game like its likely to be getting the breaks with close decisions is vital and as its at old Trafford & he's refereeing I just can't see a win for us. Hope I'm wrong obviously!

Currently... Pepe Johnson......Skertl.....agger.....Enrique .............Allen.......Lucas....Sahin......... .........Gerard......Suarez....sterling...... Rogers talked about that in the being Liverpool series so am very surprised he hasn't tried it yet as its now available

Unless we were replacing reina with a ready made young keeper (like ter stegen or a few of the other young German excellent keepers playing week in & week out in the bundesliga) then we'd need to hang onto him until butland is ready if that's who we are after. Pepe has lost a bit of form but it would be foolish to think butland could fill his spot right now.

Trying to be optimistic. If we win the next 2 (qpr & Sunderland which is doable) it'll be 5 wins in the last 7 in the league, which is great. Problem is we haven't been consistent to give confidence well do that & our run of games after the next 2 is very difficult & could easily go very sour.

Look at the foul and sending off Dowd gave against Agger in the West Brom game, and compare it to last nights 2 incidents. Last nights were both worse. Wasn't Dowd also the ref for our game against Utd? Giving the penalty for Valencia for minimal contact, when again you compare it to both our incidents last night. I dont think the refs each applying the rules differently is acceptable as they should have one standard, but you can understand why one ref has a different interpretation on the rules and applies it slightly differently. So you would have inconsistency between refs. But the same ref blatantly applying the rules one way for us and completely differently for everyone else against us is unacceptable. Earlier in the season I thought "well we arent getting the breaks now, but they'll come". Now I do believe there is an agenda against us. Far too many incidents to be coincidental and not 1 going in our favour yet. You would think (as the pundits wrongly suggest that things balance themselves out over the course of the season) that we'd have gotten a wrong decision which has gone in our favour considering the number of wrong ones that have gone against us by now. But that doesnt look like changing. Off the top of my head I can think of the following stone wall wrong ones (i'll not mention the debatable ones or all the piddly fouls around the less critical areas of the pitch) against us and struggle to think of a single one in our favour... - West Brom: both penalties debatable. - City: Kolarov foul on Johnson in the box. - Arsenal: Mertesacker pulling back Suarez running into the box. - Sunderland: Suarez booked for diving in the box, when he was tripped. - Utd: Shelvy sent off, Evans not sent off, Valencia penalty, Evans penalty trip on Suarez., van persie 2 footed tackle on Suso. - Norwich: Suarez climbed all over the back of and practically assaulted in the box. - Stoke: Too many to mention all, but the Huth Stamp on Suarez going completely unpunished (even after the game by the FA), and very early in the game I think it was Huth again slid in through the back of Suso, Whitehead sliding through Suarez. - Everton: Winning Suarez goal ruled offside when it was never in a million years even close to being. - Swansea: Enrique goal ruled off side wrongly (especially if in doubt the advantage is to go to the attacker). - Spurs: Dive got their free for the winning goal, Suarez fouled in the box by Gallas, Gerrard found in the box by Dembele. And as I said, thats just off the top of my head and I'd love it if someone had kept a log of every big wrong decision in each match that went against us this season to have a read through. People can say all they want about us needing to win games without the help of the officials, but looking at this snap shot list even can you imagine the difference to our points tally and position if even 50% of these were given. And again we still have gotten a dodgy one in our favour either yet. Doesn't stack up. Definately an agenda since we rubbed up the FA and Ferguson the wrong way last year!

I'd be very happy if we could nab either Walcott / Remy and Huntelaar / Sturridge in that order of preference for each position. Even if it panned out to be 2 Jan signings of the lesser (in my eyes) Sturridge and Remy it would be a hell of an improvement for our attacking options and quality. We can argue to death that we should be aiming for higher quality like Messi and Ronaldo (I know over exaggeration), but we aren't in the position to get the top notch players at this stage in our development, but these 4 offer significant enough quality and are all available more or less (convincing them is Ayre's job). Just hope its not 2 signings like Ince and Austin, or I can see Hicks & Gillette type fan movements starting to be rolled out. Until the window shuts in Jan, I'm happy to give the benefit of the doubt and see if the owners put their money where their mouth is, as they owe us over the shipping out Carroll without a replacement embarrassment.