Agree, I know he was our nemesis but you have to respect his ability to score goals ,a disappointing season for him last year but a new challenge with Wigan this year could mean he could be back to haunt us again.
I think you just have to have rspect for certain players - Michu is an example for your team.Lambert for Saints too.That was the thing about QPR wasn't it? They didn't have one.Taarabt talked the talk but ended up giving 75% at best for them.
It is a real shame - he should have, like Pratley, had a real shot at making it in the Prem. Neither would make it near our team now but both would make a good fist of it with a team fighting against relegation. When you see Palace shopping around and getting in cheaper players, they might have been a good shout for them or Hull.
I hadn't thought of those two - very true. It's all fine playing the tough guy but it just demonstrates that he will be ruthless with players that aren't successful or don't fit into his system. So any player in the squad has a ready-made reason to not feel guilty if they turn the tables. There's a point if Carroll was out on the lash, causing trouble etc. Indeed, if he had been that ruthless with Suarez you couldn't argue with it becuase it was based on discipline and the name of the club. The persecution of Carroll, Downing, Henderson at first was really closed-minded (all respect for Henderson for fighting his way back into contention, but Rodgers had been keen to near give him away in a player swap with Dempsey) - surely it would have been better to have come in with a 'clean slate' approach and let some play their way out of contention or in. I can't help but think that if the team had been built better around Carroll that they could have made something of him. I know that's not Rodgers's game but sometimes you have to work with what you've got. Is there a snobbery against big lump british players? I mean, Dzeko cost man city a fortune and people aren't all set to salughter him.
Thought it was a cracking signing. I got the impression that he just didn't fit with Hughton. It happens. But he's certainly look enough - surprised the promoted teams didn't come in for him really. He should have stayed in the prem. Relieved we wont be playing him next year!
i still cannot understand why Rodgers got rid of Carroll, surely him and suarez could have made a lethal combination. Having said that we know he has a one striker mentality.
You miss the point Dai. Laudrup keeps his nose clean and avoids mouthing off to the press. He has never promised the world or pretended to be something he's not. Brenda seems to love the press more than most managers and also has a way of pissing off half his playing squad given he's supposed to be a great man manager. Laudrup will leave. We know this. It will be a shock to no-one. He's brought us a cup and better players yet he has never said he will stay long term. He even said he won't be a manager at all in 10 years time. The difference is class.
sorry it was jinx that said that just 24hrs before brendan left so get it right. everyone else knew that he was going..
Know what you're saying Dai - but Brendan is his own worst enemy - invokes Joe Allen's buy out clause then has a hissy fit when Arsenal try the same with Suarez! That said still have a lot of time for the guy after what he did for us. And what manager doesn't buy players he knows and has worked with - Laudrup has done exactly the same with several of his purchases/loans - and Denmark were similarly incensed when he poached Whigfield as second in command!
Seems it was purely a family thing.They wanted to stay in Cumbria and Wigan was an hour or so down the M6.
Why should you understand musty just like the others who are pissed off because he has proved them all wrong by doing better than us that they said he would struggle He not only proved them wrong he blitzed their prediction and proved he knows exactly what he was doing with carroll ....and the moral of the story is you know sod all what goes on at liverpool.......great manager who will reach the very top given time....his first season proved he has what it takes, so good luck to Brendan and thank you for getting us to the premiership as we would not be here without you..
of course I know sod all about what goes on at Liverpool. he is an average manager atm who inherited a top 6 side, perhaps he will improve, perhaps not, time will tell. pls don't tell me you have Brendan round for dinner once a week and discuss Liverpool. you make such odd posts sometimes Dai
For '' poor old Dorus '' read cynical old Dorus . He didn't give us a chance at staying up did he ? His decision not ours and we now have better x2 !
I see that Elmander has joined Norwich on a one year loan. He was tentatively rumoured to be on our radar recently but I'm pleased it went no further. His strike rate was about 1 in 5 (18 goals in 92 games) which I think is pretty poor for a striker, especially when you consider Michu's 18 in just one season. When he signed for Bolton they paid circa £11 million for him and that was a few years ago. With that as a benchmark, you have to rate Michu at about £30 million in my opinion.
Just watched Chelsea v Villa in what was a full blooded game. For me, Villa gave as good as they got and in open play probably created the clearer cut chances. They were also denied a nailed on penalty while they were pressing at the end of the game when Terry handled the ball.. The tackles were flying in from both sides and Lambert seems to have turned the corner with his team. They are fast, strong, physical and well organised, reminiscent of his Norwich side but with better players and more skill. Benteke is a right handful and he had a real battle with Ivanovic all night, the latter slightly lucky not to see red as he was forced to resort to, literally, strong-arm tactics to deal with the striker. Both players scored, Benteke with a superb opportunistic shot and Ivanovic with a powerful header from Lampard's pinpoint free kick. We know that we won't be competing with Chelsea in the table, so I'll concentrate on Villa. There were those, including me, who were looking for 3 plus points from them this season. We might still do it but it will be one hell of a battle if we do. They have frightening pace, a tremendous goalscorer who also creates, they are organised, physical and don't stop running and tackling. If they can consistently turn in these sort of performances, they will be in the mix at the upper end of the table and, in my opinion, were well worth a draw against Chelsea. That they didn't could well be down to yet another example of a top team being favoured by benevolent officials. As it is, they scored the only open play goal of the game conceding a set piece and an unlucky own goal. I just hope that we don't have to play Villa after a midweek Europa game. If we do, my fear is that they will just power us off the park with their fresher legs. Looks like we'll have our work cut out, though, whenever we play them.
Yes for us to do well this season we must win all our home games outside the big teams like Chelsea,Liverpool and the Manchester clubs and win more away games than we did last season, all the bottom sides we should be aiming for at least 4 out of 6 points, teams like the arsenal and spurs also.
There are few players I really dislike but Holt is definitely one. He typifies the terms 'thug' and 'bully'. Odious, horrible player.
