The walters step over

We'll lose by at least two clear goals if we played either formation. Out of your line ups only Henderson has shown any ability/willingness to track back and cover midfield runners - add on the fact that we'd have even less bodies to cover set pieces and Martinez would cream himself if he saw those team sheets. It's going to be a tough game and like someone else posted, until we start showing we can defend properly (esp. set pieces) we can't afford to play fantasy attacking line ups. Tbh, until Can and Sturridge come back, and are playing well, we're going to have to grit our teeth and grind out victories. Whether we have to mentality and the capability to do that though is the big question. There's another international break in a few weeks. You can guarantee that good old Hodgey will call up Sturridge for the games even if he's only had a week or so worth of fitness in his legs - he could really feck Sturridge up for the season if he isn't careful.

It would make sense if Gerrard was the further forward. Having Gerrard spray long balls that don't work 95% of the time and short pointless passes and then compounding it by asking Lucas to show even the slightest creativity is mind boggling. Hopefully this is the game BR has a really good look at what's happened so far this year because Gerrard being the "quarterback" just is not working.

I think we've got big problems if Stevie plays every game - teams have seen the Chelsea game and worked out how to stop him. For someone so experienced he just doesn't anticipate danger and when we play against teams that just sit back his worth to the team drops drastically, taking the ball off the centre backs to play a 5 metre pass that the cb could've done anyway just means we have one less body going forward and his long passing is totally negated when the oppos' defence sits back and doesn't allow any space in behind. For whatever reason he's not passing and moving, he passes and stands still. Against teams that will go toe to toe with us he absolutely has to play but against teams that are going to sit deep and deny space in behind we are going to struggle big time to break them down unless he plays further forward or someone else takes his place, couple that with Lallana and Coutinho wanting to do the same things in the same space (imo only one of those two should start any match) and we're creating our own problems before we even kick off. Saying all that, the fact that Brendan brought on Lucas to play further forward of Gerrard in order to link the midfield and attack says to me that there's absolutely no chance that anything is going to change - like I say, it's just an opinion but if gerrard plays every game at the base of a diamond then we're going to struggle to finish fourth this year.

The Times reported that Sturridge told Roy how we give him light duties aafter games -he was ignored.

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It was so obvious that he wasn't a long term option for them. I wonder if any agents or players have ever thought "you know what, I'll take a little less money because long term it's best for my career to be playing regularly".

Johnson was one of our most consistent players in his first couple of years here but he struggled last season, had a poor World Cup and then didn't improve much ( at all) during the pre season games. The two Spanish lads are inexperienced in England but Brendan obviously rated them highly enough to bring to the club - do we stick one on the bench because Spurs away is a tough game and hope that Johnson gets back his form of two years ago because we don't want to risk two new lads at fullback? The CL starts in a few weeks, does he have to keep his place because they are still going to lack experience? We brought in the two lads precisely because we haven't been good enough defensively and Johnson has more than played his part in the mistake making department. I don't see why we should have to play someone we know makes defensive errors because we're scared that his replacement might make defensive errors. As has been said on this forum many times We Are LFC - players shouldn't be getting games by default.

Imo the bit in bold is part of the problem. If we're going with Gerrard as the deep mid (which BR will do in pretty much every game) having two "water carriers" next to him means that, at most, we only ever attack with three players - in games against top teams that are strong defensively that just isn't enough threat. If BR intends to have Lallana (or Coutinho) fill one of those midfield places then I think we're on for an exciting season - if he's trying to protect Stevies legs and continues with two of Henderson/Lucas/Can/Allen in a three then fourth is the very best we can achieve. Not to jump on any bandwagons but I would also like to know why, after the season Flanno had and after buying two new full backs, Brendan has persisted in starting Johnson - is it down to experience? Is he doing well in training? Because I honestly think he's nowhere near the level he was a few seasons back.

Aye, he's been a fantastic player over the last couple of years and I would've been made up if we'd got him. If they add a serious centre mid to the team this week then they are going to be a force this year no matter how many want to say "nah, they're shyte".

Because Fowler would never do anything as dastardly as leave us after trying to undermine our coaching staff through his friends in the media and then state it was to further his England career... As for Mario. The Times had it down as "desperation" on our part but considering the prices that relatively untried kids have been going for this summer I think it could turn out to be a Cantona-esque bargain. It's a hell of a lot better than spending the same amount to bring in Falcao for a year anyway.

It's amazing how much of a huge part things like fate, destiny and luck play when it comes to teams winning football matches, you know instead of tactics and that.

How long have Utd been "The Biggest Club In The World"? and how many players from the very top tier have signed for them? Same with City since they won the lottery. I'm not saying that they haven't signed world class players, they have, but between them I can remember names like Kaka, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Zidane, Figo amongst others from the top tier of players at their peak that have reportedly turned them down over the years. There's bound to have been a lot more that didn't make it past the "do you want to come to Manchester?", "Is it near London?", "No", "no thanks" stage. It's got nothing to do with whether Suarez was here or not, style of football or the history of the club - England just hasn't been able to attract players of the very top calibre, who are at their peak and have their pick of any of the top clubs, in great numbers and the ones that do come want to live in London.

If we didn't bid for those players we'd be accused of lacking ambition. "we are LFC" etc.. From the looks of things the thinking may well have been that Suarez will agitate for a move, sell him bring in Lambert. Origi, Sanchez and a good standard back up like Remy and we still come out with money to spend on other areas. Almost everyone would've been made up if that had happened and would've applauded the club for having a clear strategy but things went a bit pear shaped. From the interviews pre summer BR gave I do wonder if they haven't been thrown by the fact that even though we have CL football, play an attractive style and have the money to pay fees and wages players are still turning us down.

Wasn't that over a £1m signing on fee? Seem to remember Thompson saying something along those lines.

It's more than possible. Like you say, the top four or five will be stronger but that means that Man u aren't just going to roll over for City or Chelsea this year and Arsenal are more likely to take points off other challengers home or away. 86-88 points will almost certainly be enough (like it is every year) meaning that there's enough points available from the rest of the teams in the league for us to come close again. If we take a decent amount (ie around half) of points out of the rest of the top teams and are consistent against the rest then we're going to be up there. Easier said than done obv. but Man U and Arsenal getting stronger isn't necessarily that bad a thing.

Who do you think we should be bringing in? I don't think anyone disagrees that we've messed up in recent windows, but hinting that the board are up for selling Suarez so they can use the money to pay for the rebuild or just saying to Brendan "right, you've got the Suarez money and that's it" as some are just isn't based on anything. If Brendan wants the players you named then it's up to the board to do their best to bring them in - if they fail, then it's on him. Lallana's proven premiership quality, Lamberts a good option for two years on the price we paid and every German pundit I've seen talking about Can say he has the potential to be one of the best midfielders around. It's sh*t that we're losing our best player but I look at it like this - Last year if Madrid had been arsed they could have had Luis for the £40m clause, instead of sitting on their backsides the club fought off Arsenal (even though it seems like they had no real legal argument to do so) and then managed to get him to sign another deal which cost us a few hundred thousand in wages but has ended up earning us an extra 30 odd million in transfer fee. For a player that was always going to leave I'd say that was pretty good business so I think it's only fair to judge our transfer business when it's completed.

There's still two months of the transfer window left to go so I think it's a bit premature for the doom and gloom to start just yet. We've spent more than most already and if your theory is true then it's a pretty risky strategy on FSGs part, spending £40m odd and hope he doesn't get injured/do anything stupid so we can recoup the cash doesn't seem like a very clever thing to do when they could've just waited until after the WC before even attempting to sign anyone - if Luis bite had scared off Barca what would have happened then? Seems a bit weird that people are so quick to jump on the boards back when there's just no evidence.

A cynic would say that the tabloids taking the moral high ground on the day one of them was found guilty of hacking into dead soldiers (amongst others) phones is utterly fecking vomit inducing. Saying that, talking about boycotting 888.com is bloody silly and childish, they're just doing what any company would do. I know it's not a popular opinion but I do think he has to go this summer. If we back him (again) it just hurts our image as a club, it's easy to say "who gives two shytes what others think" but advertisers do care and it could cost us money in the short term, especially when it's obvious that even if he stays he will only use the reception he gets as an excuse to slap in another transfer demand in January.

I just think as a club we are better than that though. He isn't going to change, that much is now obvious as is the fact that his relatives going on radio saying he wants out isn't happening without his knowledge or consent. It can't even be defended with the "heat of the moment" excuse, the ball was no where near him. If he takes a nasty challenge and then throws a punch then I'd be defending him, but this? F*ck him off and let's have a season without distractions.

So all the "don't want Mourinho/Terry/Cole at the club - he's a horrible c*nt and the club stands for more than that" was just boll*cks then? If he stays, every single Br interview this summer will be dominated by it, every game he will be booed and every Liverpool player will have the massive ball ache of having to talk about it every time a microphone is placed under their noses. Then in January he (or his agent) will be briefing the press that he has to leave because of the way he's being treated by the English. For me, no amount of goals are worth the clubs name being dragged through the shyte yet again - especially by a player that wants out. I can't see it having an effect on his value because how can any club say "yes, we want him, but because he's an utter knobend we want to pay 50% less" - we could get two or three good players out of Barca or Madrid with cash on top so imo, get rid.

Just seen a report on SSN. Toure might be off this summer because he feels the owners didn't show him enough respect on his birthday last week. His agent was interviewed and said that when it was Roberto Carlos' birthday the Anzhi president personally presented Carlos with a brand new Bugatti but the City owners didn't even wish poor old YaYa Happy birthday... Toure says that his agent "speaks the truth" and he will be giving an interview after the World Cup..

The Times says he's in the last year of his contract, if they keep him just to fill their quota then he'd definitely be off for nothing next year which mean they'd have to shell out money just to bring in another English player which would have an effect on their FFP for next year. The report reckons they're going to offer him a deal so he can sit around and make up the numbers. I wouldn't mind him tbh. He's an upgrade on both Allen and Lucas so I'd expect him to play pretty regularly.

That's giving a lot of credit to the lot doing the negotiations for us. So far the pattern is the same as the last year or so - step one, Ayre runs his mouth off to the press, step two, everyone else becomes aware of who we want and how much we are willing to spend, step three, player signs for different club, step four is the club briefing anyone that listens that "Ian worked really, really hard and it's not his fault the deals fell through".