I think the fact that Coates got raped by Mansfields forwards then Oldhams forwards hasn't done him any favours. It may well be as simple as lack of game time and the fact that centre half is such a tough position for young players. I'd also like Coates to stay on but he isn't ready yet and we need squad players who can step in and play straight away. He's already a full international with a lot of caps so can't see him wanting to stick around as fourth or fifth choice. Likewise I can't see Skrtel hanging around if we bring in two other CBs and he thinks he won't be first choice.
Agreed, I wouldn't want to see Coates leave but can't see him staying for 3rd fiddle when he should be playing games. Unless he goes out on loan.
Would love to get someone like De Vrij - he's basically a right footed version of Agger. Haven't seen a lot of him but everytime I have done, he looks very comfortable on the ball and likes to start attacks. He's already a captain at 21 which indicate his leadership capabilities and that he can handle the pressure and expectation. I think Rodgers will bring in both De Vrij and Ashley Williams - Williams is not the most technically gifted but he can play with the ball, but his physical presence and leadership would be crucial.
Thats the problem for me Billy, really hard to judge a guy who plays in such a tough position when he plays so infrequently. Some will of course argue that if he was good enough he would be playing or at least on the fringes, ironically some of those same posters would probably have been the ones asking for Assaidi and Sahin to play, or for Carroll to have been given another shot. Coming in to games against lower league opposition, who generally make up for skill and pace with outright aggression is not the best to judge a player's progress or ability. Its not that long ago that Grant Holt was playing at those levels, another reason to not automatically condemn a player just on the level of opponent.
Can't say I know too much of De Vrij; but if he is as good as been made out he would potentially be a very good signing. One thing is for sure we have gone backwards defensively and the Agger-Skrtel partnership that was so good last season is long gone. We do need to bring in leadership and winning mentality in the mould of Suarez, if De Vrij is all that he is made out to be then lets hope we are the ones who get him!
Coates has had a handful of good games. A shadow of Jamie Carragher has been resurrected instead of playing him - and outperformed him to the extent that we're not questioning it. He looks shakey. Always lunging into standing and sliding challenges; for a player his size he doesn't dominate in the air. Gives away the ball a lot, too.
don't know much about him JK, but we will just have to trust Brendans judgment on this if true he wants him. wont sign him if he thinks there is a good chance of him antagonizing our best player will he.
The lad has only played about 12 games in total for Liverpool so its pretty unfair to judge him on that amount of games. By your own admission he has played some good games, that leaves perhaps a few average, and a couple of bad ones. When you consider his age, the position he plays, a lack of a proper run of games, inexperience, adapting to new country and then new style (under BR) its far, far too early for the obituaries to be written on his Liverpool career. Look at the stick Skrtel, Lucas, Hendo have all been given before a run of games and finally settling changed all that. Give the lad a chance!
here's the controversial view... he's not tall enough! I don't want some elegant but weak assed players at the back again. agger is that and frankly coates is so weak willed its un true. I want a big dirty donkey like per mertesacker who we can send up 5 yards ahead of SKERTL and go win headers. lets skertl then sweep up behind which he seems decent at. Oh and be arfa... totally one footed and so no thinks... lets see if countiho works out first. my view on coates has in deed changed btw... his Oldham display was most disappointing and the kid i saw with bags of talent on the ball and huge too boot just looked like he never even tried to adapt to the english game... he bottled it in a physical contest with a league one donkey. simply put in 2 years he doesn't look like he's worked on physical strength and is still unable to speak the language well. IMO he's not got the mentality if that's the case and should go. you need hard men to play at the back, and they must be able to organise.... every time he played in the europa with carra who was not very fit either they were a disaster of organisation... the evidence indicates someone who will not be the guy to turn to in a crisis.
My view on Ashley Williams, if we were interested the fee would be £12-15m......................for a 28 yo (2 or 3 times what his real value is ).If BR/LFC signed him, that would say our transfer strategy is TOTALLY wrong, it would say BR has too much power on transfers, it would we havnt learned from the mistakes of Carroll n Downing, by continuing to buy VASTLY overpriced Brits, it would say BR has no faith in our scouts what so ever.If would say to me we have ZERO imagination with transfers, and to be quite frank havnt got a clue with transfers.Sayin that if we got him for £6m Id be interested, but there would be no chance of that Unless we are attempting to sign one of the top 20 players in the world,we should never over pay, if someone quotes too much,look elsewhere,thats what we shudda done with Carroll n Downing,Torres shudda been forced to stay until the summer If we sign Ashley Williams for £12 -15m, I would say I am VERY concerned about the direction the club is going in
Id be very surprised if Coates stays beyond the summer Hes 6ft 6 and Oldham proved he struggled against the big CF,and he has zero pace.I actually think in Spain or Italy he will be a top player, where they like to defend deep, but we want to push up so we can press,and if we have 6ft 6 CB, we need him to be able to cope against the Stoke type players.IMO he will be gone in the summer,as he isnt suited to the PL
Rodgers came out recently and said he wanted to sign some 'men' in the summer so I think there could be an element of truth in the Williams rumours.
this i'd willing at this point to forgive rodgers his twat buys in the summer if he continues the january work... that means don't return to swansea picks (borini was awful buy and huge risk at money) but use the 12 months of scouting world wide we should be doing to get quality. I think rodgers can be judged next 1st september and I for one will on that day wither back him or call for his head. I don't need to see any more form him in terms of organisation or style. I can see the score already there. If he delivers ahsely williams and more of the same next summer we'll be 8th again.
There were a lot of good players in that single match. Hopefully Rodgers was eyeing more than one target ...
The ideal CB for us would be 23-25,leader, probable English speaker, physical presence ( dont take no sh*t like Carra ),pace. Technical ability less important than physical presence and pace Williams ticks a lot of those boxes, but he has to be value, I think we could get better for the price ,and at £12-15m, Williams would be a definite no
