Armin_Tamzarian

I've put myself on the lowest percentage of working day possible whilst still pretending to show up.

Oh yes. The greatest excuse to sack off work known to man.

I think he knew with Momo's signing that his time was coming to an end. I think part of the reason he signed that new contract was to give himself the best chance of making the final world cup squad. Now he just wants to play and you can't blame him for that. Kevin Nolan will love playing alongside Didi.

I think he's a good player. The bit part roles he's given don't give him much chance to shine. Played in his best position, for sufficient time to develop an understanding he'd make that midfield far more secure.

Pele never stops talking. Leave him alone with a microphone for long enough and he'd be singing the praises of Ade Akinbiyi.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

Do not rob me of my dreams Perhaps that ship has sailed, a pity we couldn't sign him before Valencia snagged him. I know Rafa wanted him, wish the board would've backed him then. I think we were bidding 5-6 and Valencia got him for 8.6 -looks cheap at twice the price now. Back to Owen. He's a class player and I'd love to have seen him come back last summer. However as things have moved on and the team has developed I'm not sure he's what we need. Cisse's experience shows how rarely we get the ball over the top to a striker playing on the shoulder, it's not the sort of chance we fashion very often. Rafa plays 2 up front regularly, but the furthest player is usually Crouch and it's onrushing midfielders like Gerrard that benefit. In fact, Owen leaving may have had an impact in the blossoming of Gerrards attacking game. Hopefully we'll generate more from the flanks next year, but that profitting from that was never a major part of Owen's game. With Cisse gone we'll lack blinding pace, but that's not in the Owen armoury in the same quantity it used to be. He's a truly wonderful player, but something tells me it might be best to keep the memories and look elsewhere. I no longer think a second spell at Anfield would be as happy a one some might think.

I don't see the fit with our existing players? If we want someone buzzing behind Crouch, not a prolific goalscorer, then we'd be better off with the greater goal threat of Luis, or perhaps Bellamy. If we want someone to run a game from midfield then one of Stevie or Xabi are going to be underused. Regardless of his good performances at right midfield I hope Gerrard is moving into the central midfield attacking role next season, which is where Aimar operates at his best. Undoubtedly a class player and very clever at what he does but where does he fit into a Liverpool lineup?

Even accepting the escape clause I don't think we can afford it. He's on 100k+ a week. We can't pay him that, it would be the same as Gerrard who has shown more loyalty. He'd have to agree to substantially less. Plus he needs a strong partner along side him so we'd still need a Crouch like sub/reserve I'd rather we went to the bank and secured a loan based on the next 3 years tv money and got the one striker Benitez really wanted, David Villa. Hell, the team is so close now I'd sooner see some of the transfer funds for the next couple of years diverted into giving this team the best chance possible. We won't have this coach forever, some of the players are peaking now. lets go for it, but by giving the manager what he wants.

It's interesting that he flags up Kewell and Garcia's ability in the second striker role. There's a general assumption that we'll buy 2 strikers in a like for like replacement of Moro and Cisse. Could Parry be laying the ground for our only buying 1 with Rafa using the strengthening of the flanks to shuffle other players into the centre?

I don't expect Erikkson to win the World Cup. My expectations are that an International manager uses the time at his disposal to thoroughly test alternatives for key players, to develop contingency plans well in advance of the final and to ensure that players are well briefed on what their role consists of. Sven hasn't done that and deserves to be criticised.

Lawton's spot on. He wasn't harsh on Carrahger at all, he has more respect for him than most journalists because he understands what an excellent a defender he is. Sven has picked up 4.5 million a year and one injury to Rooney and he falls to pieces. The same thing happened in Portgual. He's had a very talented bunch of players to choose from and he's consistently failed to tackle the obvious problems in his team.

I think you've misunderstood my point. I was suggesting that Milan's real target may be Diarra, not that Lyon would try to sign Gerrard.

Reading that it it could be an attempt to pressure Lyon to drop the price on Diarra. Gerrard is a better player with a higher profile so if Diarra is being overpriced this is one way of sending a signal to the club, and more importantly the player. With their first child just a few days old I doubt Gerrard is seriously contemplating a foreign experience right now.

Carragher is a better defender than Ferdinand but Rio is more accomplished on the ball. If Sven felt he had to tamper at the last minute he may have been better playing a back 3 and asking Rio to play as a sweeper? It's a long time since JC played the defensive midfielder role. I hope he isn't being hung out to dry here, he's been one of the best defenders in Europe for the past 2 years, hope people remember that if he fails to take to this last minute experiment.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

Gerrard is clearly the more talented player but I've yet to see him match the consistency Keane showed at his peak nor his understanding of the central midfield role. Of course Gerrard is improving all the time.

I just think the Gerrard affair was a far bigger story. A home town boy captain of his side, an England player, Chelsea's wealth versus Liverpool's tradition etc...

It could equally be a hint about how Rafa rates the alternatives. At his best Kewell is top quality and easily the best option available in his position since Rafa took over. That doesn't preclude Rafa harbouring doubts about him as a long term solution. Remember when Benitez was making barbed remarks about Harry's fitness problems?

That seems plausible. Clears path for Gonzalez, with Zenden and Risse available as cover with arrival of Aurelio. Wasn't there some gossip about Kewell's wife wanting to go to London?