Yep, I've given up on us signing defenders or a DM. I'm just going to enjoy the attacking signings like Firmino, and hopefully Kovacic and a ST.
Re. defence: In all games Skrtel has played (excl clean sheets games: LFC average 1.8 goals per games with him starting, compared to 1.2 without him. He is a massive problem in our defence and I look forward to the day we drop him.
Be licking my lips if that was the case. He's such an average player in my opinion. Does everything at an okay level but isn't consistent, can't grab a game by the scruff of the neck, doesn't have that killer shot/pass/movement. I really don't know why he is so highly rated. I thought he could develop into a midfield playmaker but he just doesn't seem to have progressed. Would much rather Willian in the hole, or even better, Willian in CM and Fabregas in the hole
Wouldnt want Oscar. Have a better version in Coutinho who doesn't dive as much. Zouma looks a beast and him and Sakho could be a good partnership for us but I don't see you selling him. France have some decent young players there when you add varane and mangala who although not been great obviously has some potential!
I don't think he is as bad as what people make him out to be. I think only a few defenders can play a really high line which i imagine Brenden wants to do. The 2nd half of your season when you played a deeper line to make up for your non existent attack he was one of your shining lights. I do think you can improve on him especially with the style you want but i think its more a problem with your lack of fullbacks who can defend/disciplined dm
Very well: With MS we have conceded 250 goals in 220 games. Without MS, we have conceded 65 in 84 games. Only PL games.
In the right system, he can be a good defender. Unfortunately, that system is in a deep line, with quality CM ahead OR playing as the centre of a back 3 - being protected by his partners. He's a reactive defender who does not read the game well.
To a certain degree that's a seperate issue, as value for money and comparison with expectations are part of how you determine whether someone is a flop. In the cases of Ozil, Bale and di Maria, the issue has been consistency. Bale was getting much less flak this time last year, for example, and I think it's too early to call him a flop yet. Ozil has shown in spurts, but people criticize him because he's had spells of being poor (regardless of price). Di Maria has pretty much just been poor after the first few weeks, but people weren't moaning too much about the price at the start. Coutinho gets praised because he was probably our best player last season, despite the stats and regardless of price. That he was cheap is a bonus. Sahin only cost the loan fee, but he was criticized becuase he didn't live up to expectations. Balotelli, Borini and Lambert get a lot of stick, even though none of them were particularly expensive either, and you could perhaps say that ll have lived up to the expectations...
I guess the point was you were saying price doesn't matter as long as they are successful. I then went onto say that the price paid makes a hell of a difference to if a person is viewed as a success. I personally wouldn't call any of the above 3 as flops, however many people do especially the media outlet. If a player is performing 8 games out of 10, then the price paid doesn't really matter. If they are only doing it 6 in 10 games, then questions get asked if they have been an excessive price. In the case of when i say "doing it" i mean getting goals and assists cause thats ultimately what happens. As i said, Coutinho is your best player and you appreciate him, but if he had cost 50m, you guys would be asking is he doing enough which is what is happening with Lallana. Suarez was getting criticised up until January when he finally clicked. It happens to every big priced signing. People think Ibrahimovic flopped at Barca cause they paid like 50m + Etoo for him. He had a 1 in 2 record there and he won a la liga.
What time period is this? If its from when he joined then majority of games missed would have been at the start of his Liverpool career. In which case, it would have been under Rafa whilst Carragher and Hyypia/Agger were first choice; aka when we were defensively sound.
His entire LFC career. He was a first team regular in 09 which was the start of our downfall - although I'm not pinning the whole blame on him, but I also don't think it's a coincidence.
As many will know, I think the previous era needed clearing out which Brod as almost done now (only Lucas and Skrtel remain) but I also think it is very harsh to point the blame (partly or fully) or Skrtel direction. During his time here, the club as gone through a lot of changes, almost entered Administration and even endured a spell with Woy as manager!
I agree it's harsh to pin the blame on him but I do think he's a part of the problem Same with Johnson, Skrtel, Lucas - I don't think it's a coincidence that our defence has suffered since they became first team regulars ... Put Skrtel alongside a leader whom he respects, in a deep line that is protected by a solid midfield - then he's good. Unfortuantely, we need to really up our levels now if we want to get back to where we need to be. Using those three players above - compare Johnson to Arbeloa, Skrtel to Carra/Hyypia, Lucas to Mascherano - all 3 are levels below the benchmark.
Well yes, you do expect more from an expensive player and they have to do more to avaoid being labelled a flop. But the fact remains that those players are only being dicussed because they haven't lived up to expectations. If both Coutinho and Fimino go on to be massive successes, will we really care that Coutinho cost significantly less? Probably not. Whereas compare the reactions to Lambert and Carroll. Lambert we're more likely to say, yeah, but he was only four million. Carroll you think about the price and cry.
