Adriano is too old so we won't spend money on him. Plus we've been linked with quite a few young FBs too.
Probably is a bit too old but would certainly be a player that would fit our system of passing it our from the back etc. Would be good competition for Enrique but agree we should be looking at someone younger and more long term to compete with Enrique. However if we have real concerns over Enrique and his fitness, can we risk getting another younger full back who may not be ready for first team football all season or do we need to get a more established player who can handle that? Especially one used to being in a winning team and playing CL football under huge pressure.
The pattern of signings since Brod arrived suggests that we sign a a split of for now and for future players. On this principle and on my suspicion that we'll only sign three or four this summer, would LB be one of the "for now" spots? It wouldn't for me. RB and CM are more important IMO. Just sort a training schedule out for Enrique.
True but since Rodgers has been here how many games has Enrique missed due to injuries? I'd say a lot... would he continue to take that risk of making him number 1 and having young back ups in Flanagan and another new signing? Would be a big gamble, especially if we got CL football and needed to juggle all comps without a first team LB. If we can get a full back than can play in either position and is ready for the first team, can kill 2 birds with 1 stone, but where the hell do you find one of them?! Wonder of Lahm fancies a new challenge?
The main thing that concerns me about playing European football is the fixtures. It is well known that we have a lot of players on set training schedules to allow them to rest without missing too many games. When do they rest when we play twice a week? Do they never train? I agree about getting a FB that can play both sides. Easier said than do though, especially when we require the quality we do.
Hopefully all those on loan can come back ready to play, the youngsters like Smith and Tex who have come through get more minutes, along wih a couple of purchases.
Smith didn't look all that brilliant when he made his debut but then again he played LW against Chelsea for 30mins so maybe bit harsh to judge him, Seems to have a lot of pace when I've seen him but don't know much more than that.
Never heard of him before that debut! Don't we have a welsh kid who debuted for the national team recently? Also guys like Coady and Adorjan on loan who many forget about ( the big ones obviously Borini, Wisdom, Suso). Rossiter could be coming through Mclaughlin has a lot of hype. It could be a big big season with those guys getting Carling and FA cup games while the big boys get league and (please don't jinx it) CL.
Actually lets look at the loan list: 11 Morocco MF Oussama Assaidi (at Stoke City until 31 May 2014)[102] 25 Spain GK Pepe Reina (at Napoli until 31 May 2014)[103] 26 Portugal DF Tiago Ilori (at Granada until 31 May 2014)[104] 29 Italy FW Fabio Borini (at Sunderland until 31 May 2014)[105] 30 Spain MF Suso (at AlmerÃa until 31 May 2014)[106] 33 England MF Jordon Ibe (at Birmingham City until 31 May 2014) 35 England DF Conor Coady (at Sheffield United until 31 May 2014)[107] No. Position Player 43 Northern Ireland DF Ryan McLaughlin (at Barnsley until 9 February 2014)[108] 47 England DF Andre Wisdom (at Derby County until 31 May 2014)[109] 49 England DF Jack Robinson (at Blackpool until 31 May 2014)[110] — Hungary FW Krisztián Adorján (at Groningen until 31 May 2014)[111] — England FW Michael Ngoo (at Walsall until 31 May 2014)[112] — England MF Craig Roddan (at Accrington Stanley until 5 February 2014)[113] — Czech Republic DF Jakub Sokolik (at Southend United until 31 May 2014)[114] Current first team and reserve: 1 Australia GK Brad Jones 2 England DF Glen Johnson 3 Spain DF José Enrique 4 Ivory Coast DF Kolo Touré 5 Denmark DF Daniel Agger (Vice-Captain) 6 Spain FW Luis Alberto 7 Uruguay FW Luis Suárez 8 England MF Steven Gerrard (Captain) 9 Spain FW Iago Aspas 10 Brazil MF Philippe Coutinho 12 Nigeria FW Victor Moses (on loan from Chelsea) 14 England MF Jordan Henderson 15 England FW Daniel Sturridge 16 Uruguay DF Sebastián Coates 17 France DF Mamadou Sakho 20 France DF Aly Cissokho (on loan from Valencia) 21 Brazil MF Lucas Leiva 22 Belgium GK Simon Mignolet 24 Wales MF Joe Allen 31 England MF Raheem Sterling 34 England DF Martin Kelly 36 Germany FW Samed Yeşil 37 Slovakia DF Martin Škrtel 38 England DF Jon Flanagan 44 England DF Brad Smith 45 Germany DF Stephen Sama 46 England MF Jordan Rossiter 48 England FW Jerome Sinclair 50 England MF Cameron Brannagan 51 Wales DF Lloyd Jones 52 Wales GK Danny Ward 53 Portugal MF João Carlos Teixeira
Harry Wilson is the Welsh kid. Only 16/17 and a winger. Not seen much of him either to be honest. Can't see Coady making it... currently playing League 1 and Adorjan will be gone soon as well after being farmed out to some dutch side. Rossiter is apparently playing well for the under 18's despite only being 16 and he scored in the recent FA Youth cup game against Reading. Can't see any of those getting any first team football next year, probably still a few year too early for Wilson or Rossiter.
I think that is the problem.... if we don't really care about the FA and Carling, then those players mentioned and more could be used to play in those games. Would help solve the problem of keeping the first team fresh. Got to see that a few players would be brought in if we got CL too. With everyone returning our squad suddenly becomes really big, not overall quality big, but bodies that could help cope with the multiple tournaments we should be in.
Then again, you look at guys like Aspas, Moses, who were brought over for squad depth, yet barely get a game because of how well we are playing/how **** they have been playing. Moses especially, I really thought he would be a big help.
Possibly League Cup for players like McLaughlin, Wilson, Rossiter but I'd love us to have a proper go in the FA Cup, it's probably our best chance of silverware.
One of those as a manager, Rodgers has to see forward and weigh the options of what is important. Hopefully we buy as well so we can still get some of those players mentioned and still have a proper go. If my memory serves me right, people forget that in Rafa's first season, he played a lot of the fringe players in the Carling cup and they got us to the final that year.
I guess at no point did we have 3 competitions on the go at once with the League cup finishing before the FA Cup started. That way we were only ever really in 2 comps at a time and meant we till didn't play many mid week games as they were being played at weekends instead of the League fixtures. Meant didn't have to worry too much about rotating the team and keeping players fresh. Next season if we get CL will be different as you'll have 3 comps at the start when League cup starts and the CL group stages then possibly FA Cup starts and the knock out of CL (if we get there). Think the squad will need to be rotated a lot more next season which means having players like Borini, Suso, Wisdom back to help make up numbers but still with some quality will be crucial.
Agree mate. I really hope those that come back do really want to come back and accept playing here and there, in cups, in leagues, etc.
we need a 25 man squad plus kids. simple as that. we can play as many kids as we want but if we put like 18 or 19 players in for registration for prem league it shows in the end. especially when one or two are as gash as moses and aspas. Nows the time to right it. Even allen as an average player has a role to play in the 25 man squad frankly, its just his extreme price for an average player is the issue. BOrini at 11mil is a run of the mil forward as well. you can keep them if you've europe to cover. If we add at least 4 NET players this summber we cna compete again next year.
What happened to Sinclair? He was the next big thing after getting a few minutes last season (maybe season before?). Seems to have dropped way off the radar.
Might be wrong but I think he was given his full debut on the last day of last season v QPR. Played well too,applauded off after about an hour from memory
