David Hodgson

That's a point. Where's the darn transfer thread ?

Swap Thingy for Mane. And then swap Lallana's position with Mane's. Stupid boy.

Maybe I did too. I can't remember. I think I emotionally 'shut down'.

Ha ! Yeah ya did kidda. You had a proper dig at me saying that times there's been a 'chasm' between them as players.

Ha ! You take that away from us and we have nothing to talk about.

Did you ? I didn't. I was still dining out on that purple patch at Arsenal, and (to an extent) that win over Barca in the friendly. I was gutted (post Burnley), but I thought we'd be ok. It helped that we played and thrashed Burton within a matter of days. Cleared away negative cobwebs quickly.

We've played away at 4 grounds no one counts on points from.. we've won 3 out of those 4, scoring 11 goals in the process. Yes, we've conceded 7 in those games but others will concede on those grounds too. No one will score that many though. If we'd had a normal balance of games we'd probably have conceded a few less, scored a few more, and be 2 points clear at the top. If you want to worry , worry for Arsenal who couldn't score at home v boro and who got murdered by us on their own ground. Worry for city who have only one once in their last 7 games.

There's an argument that says look at the pantheon of owners at top flight clubs - would you be happy to go into a lucky dip to get any one of the others, or would you stick with FSG ? Because that is what advocating 'regime change' is saying. For me, until there's a clearly better (richer) owner knocking on the door with cash ready to buy them out, then much of the analysis of FSG is kind of pointless.

I disagree. He worked fantastically well in tandem with Mane and Firmino vs Leicester. He give us an option in a 2 with Origi. I think the Fowler comparisons are unfair inasmuch as Fowler was entering a phase of sharp decline (for a variety of reasons). I don't think Sturridge is.

He's only played over one half of football in a month. There's every reason to play him.

I'm the same. I think it's because we are simpler playing far better now than we were at the same stage in those two seasons.

Coutinho has had a lot of travelling and games and is prone to tight muscles so there's no way he'll start. Henderson is suspended. Mignolet definitely replaces Karius. Those are the three definite changes. He'll feel keen to give plenty of game time to Sturridge and Origi because neither are likely to start a league game anytime soon. Ings will surely make the bench and get on the pitch at some stage, simply to reward his attitude. I'd be shocked if he started ahead of either Sturridge or Origi. Wijnaldum surely starts having not played much in 3 weeks. There's a strong case for Lallana too, and he was taken off early v WBA, and I can see him getting an hour tonight. I'd put money on Moreno coming in for Milner. Couldn't call what he'll do with the centre backs So...the near certainties are : Mignolet ----------- ----------- ----------- Moreno ---------- Wijnaldum Lallana ---------- Sturridge Origi

Yes. Sturridge and Origi needs games and are worth first 11 places when on form, so picking them is not downgrading. Wijnaldum needs a game and Lallana has only started once since coming off against Swansea after 20 mins nearly a month ago. Keepers and centre backs don't need resting. The dilemmas for Kopp are at full back, in the No 6 position, and which attacking player to link up with Origi and Sturridge.

Karius Alexander Arnold Matip Lovren Moreno Lucas Wijnaldum Lallana Ejaria Sturridge Origi

Paisley didn't . Well, not audibly. I agree generally though.

Haha. You're a good egg. But still agree to disagree . Put Coutinho on sale and then Adam and see what the going rate would be. Eggzackley.

This is a great thread with a great font.

The guardian have reported it to.

Will Griggis on fire ?

You've been nice, so I'll be nice. Pick me out a statement from my post and critique it properly you big div. Coutinho is better than Lallana. Coutinho is better then Lallana. Coutinho is better than Lallana. Coutinho is better than Lallana. And Lallana is really really good.

There remains some distance between Coutinho and Lallana. It was a chasm . It isn't that any more but Coutinho is much the better player. Lallana was a £25m 26 year old. Of course he gets greater scrutiny than 19 or 20 year olds. With kids it's all about making a call on how they might develop. It's a punt. With a mature player you assess what's before your eyes. I'm made up Lallana is doing so well but there's no egg on anyone's face over him. He was bang average now he's good. End of.

It's not about being a winger, its about confidence that you have options and can trust your body. Coutinho isn't Sterling quick but he can trust himself to go either side. Lallana's penchant for checking back was an issue when he was playing in nominally wide positions. He was slowing our build-up down, at times. I don't think where he's concerned there's any requirement for revisionism really. He wasn't very good in his injury disrupted first season and he improved in the second half of last season under Klopp's guidance, without ever looking like he'd end up a world beater. He's improving still, which is great. His appetite for Klopp's pressing game is his key asset. He's so good at it that almost everything else he brings is a bonus. I love him in the current side but I wouldn't be very relaxed, if we had injuries, in seeing him back in our front 3. I don't think he can do anywhere near the job in those areas that Firmino, Coutinho or Mane can. He's now in his best position. Agree with all of this.

In wide areas he was never ideal . He does lack pace and strength and he would never trust himself to go outside his man and would incline to check back so that he didn't lose the ball. At times that did slow us down. He's far better suited infield and his confidence has risen playing there.

You're drawing some mad broad brush strokes here Cam. The Sturridge we had from 2013 to 2014 was up there with as good a striker as I've ever seen. Very much in the same league of all those you mention. As for our squad now versus then - well, 86 is a long time ago and it was a double winning side. This is a new squad. How would you view it if it actually won the league ? As worse than the sides of 96, 2001 and 2007 ?

I wonder what Ayre/FSG would say the business case was for the new 4,500 normal tickets in the expanded Main Stand ? The pay back on these is vastly different to the pay back timescale on the 3,500 new corporate tickets. I bet if the Main Stand had been expanded by just the 3,500 needed for the corporates that the cost of the development would've been no more than about £70m. Why can't LFC look at the Main Stand and Anny Road as one big development, costing around £170m, putting 10,500 normal seats and 3,500 corporates onto Anfield's capacity ? The 'pay back' on the Main Stand is estimated by the club at c.£25m per annum. Add the £5m per annum projected on the Anny Rd and on a £170m that's a payback in under 6 years for a 60,000 capacity Anfield.