Riise

[Huyton_Red]

If roberto carlos scored goals like that everyone would be raving about it for months, ashley cole has never scored a goal like that and never will.

 

He is a great little player that is strangely unappreciated by the liverpool fans, people always criticise his defending but he was a in the defence for most of last seasons 33 clean sheets as well as some of the great defences we had under houllier.

 

And going forward, well, can someone tell me a better left back going forward than riise ? That goal and the charity shield one are fantastic goals.

 

Cracking little player who at 26 is still not at the peak of his powers and will get better and better. Without doubt, in my mind anyway, the best left back in the league

[Mikael Akerfeldt]

[Andy @ Allerton]

I think everyone likes Riise don't they?

 

He's a great player and will continue to bang in great goals*

 

 

*As long as the ball is moving

[Jimi Rojo]

Riise is a superb player and its good news he's only 26!!! THought he was older than that

[abc]

His defensive game has improved tremendously since Rafa took over. Evident even in Rafa's first season. But many still fail to see that his defending has gone up a couple of notches, up to a very high standard. Like mentioned, an integral part of the superb defence last season.

[McBain]

Rafa's shown this season what he thinks of Riise. To risk him by bringing him back twice from inury so quickly shows how much he wants him in the team

[Gunga Din]

His defensive game has improved tremendously since Rafa took over. Evident even in Rafa's first season. But many still fail to see that his defending has gone up a couple of notches, up to a very high standard. Like mentioned, an integral part of the superb defence last season.

 

agree with that totally. i went through a phase about 18 months ago, where i thought his game was getting worse and he should be shipped out. but he has taken his game onto another level in the last year or so, and now he is one of our most important players. we really miss him when he isnt playing, the Everton game being the most sttartling example of how vulnerable we are down the left when he isnt there

[Leo No.8]

I do think Riise is one of the more unappreciated players in our side. Its often been fashionable to criticise him because he isn't a pretty footballer, his game is about power whether thats his running with the ball or shooting plus in the past his defensive positioning was poor at times.

 

Fact is though, in truth I don't know of another full-back in the game today who scores great goals as often as Riise. Roberto Carlos is still living off the back of that free-kick against France - 250 free-kicks later he's hardly scored from one, wheras our own left-back whacks a few of them in every season without fail. Add to that the fact that he never stops running, and his total commitment to the club and Riise quite simply should be a crowd favourite.

 

He must be one of the best strikers of a football in the game alongside the likes of Juninho from Lyon and of course our very own Stevie Gerrard, and since Rafa has worked on his defensive play I can't think of a single left-back I'd swap him for.

[mercury]

Think he got his defensive game going in GH's last season and defo improves as a whole under Rafa (still only the left peg though once in long while reminded us he got a second leg )

[Hassony]

 

 

He must be one of the best strikers of a football in the game alongside the likes of Juninho from Lyon and of course our very own Stevie Gerrard, and since Rafa has worked on his defensive play I can't think of a single left-back I'd swap him for.

not even Pistone?

 

JAR is my favourite player in the squad (despite his ginger hair)

[Guest Sabre]

I was really desperate for him to get through the game without a hitch.

 

Shame that hitch was a 40 yard strike eh Martin Jol?

 

I love it how commentators and journos just take it for granted that the lad will score a goal like that. Your comparison with Carlos is right - JAR is far better

[abc]

agree with that totally. i went through a phase about 18 months ago, where i thought his game was getting worse and he should be shipped out. but he has taken his game onto another level in the last year or so, and now he is one of our most important players. we really miss him when he isnt playing, the Everton game being the most sttartling example of how vulnerable we are down the left when he isnt there

 

A testament to both Rafa's coaching ability and the lad's talent. Never looked like the most intelligent footballer, he's now matured into a more calculated one.

 

I remember very clearly one play in the CL semi at Anfield, when Kezman took down a long crossfield pass with a lot of space on the right wing. In the past Riise was rightly criticized for going down too rashly. But on this occasion, he backed off slightly, and as soon as he noticed Kezman's first touch was not perfect, he went in full paced to put in a great tackle.

 

I'd say he's probably the most improved player in the team since Rafa took over.

 

Think he got his defensive game going in GH's last season and defo improves as a whole under Rafa (still only the left peg though once in long while reminded us he got a second leg )

 

Think he was dropped for the first half of that season, and when he played himself back into the team he showed vast improvement in his defending. And then moved to a new level the season after, although he played left midfield more often than at the back.

[Swagger]

Rafa's shown this season what he thinks of Riise. To risk him by bringing him back twice from inury so quickly shows how much he wants him in the team

 

That says it all, really.

 

Fantastic player.

[Rex Ham]

I agree with most of whats been said here. The only black mark against him is his right foot, which he so ably demostrated with an air shot on Saturday.

 

He, mostly, makes up for it with his left peg though, and having obviously stepped up a gear in the past 18 months he's hugely important for us.

[melia]

I said to my son on Saturday that I would seriously consider choosing him in my all-time Liverpool XI.

We haven't had many better left-backs (if any).

[sean]

I said to my son on Saturday that I would seriously consider choosing him in my all-time Liverpool XI.

We haven't had many better left-backs (if any).

 

 

Pinger Staunton.

[Guest Sabre]

I agree with most of whats been said here. The only black mark against him is his right foot, which he so ably demostrated with an air shot on Saturday.

 

He, mostly, makes up for it with his left peg though, and having obviously stepped up a gear in the past 18 months he's hugely important for us.

 

I think that is progress. 12 months ago he would have tried a behind the right foot left footed chip!

[Cooldude]

Had my doubts about him at the start of the season, but after first couple of games in the season, all those doubts all but evaporated away. One of those players who you only truly appreciate when he's not there

 

Runs his b******s off and scores at least 5 goals every season for a full back is great contribution. Defensively he can still have problems at times but he's improved enough and also experienced enough at that position to be considered solid.

 

Wouldn't think of many at all in the league who I'd rather have at left back

[Guest Anders Honoré]

I seem to recall being in a minority of fans two years ago, when I backed him to prove himself a star. Great to see it ctaching on.

 

To be honest, his distribution could still do with some improvement, but he has really grown as a player ever since the last six months of Houllier's tenure, which was when he began looking like a real lb again (I'll credit rafa with a lot of things but not this. His improvement defensively was happening over an extended period before he took over and he really upped his game going forwards from lb in the months before rafa took over as well). He's become reasonable solid defensively and though he doesn't have the same consistency going forwards as someone like Cole, or our own Finnan for that matter, he has that rare quality of being a genuine matchwinner. When he does something right, he does it in style. He's a great leftback imo.

[ManxRed]

No right foot.

 

 

Rubbish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(only joshing, he's brilliant!)

[Guest Jodus]

I expect him to play on with us for a good 3 or 4 more years, could go further with his fitness levels, and with that many years under his belt, would be competing for the LB spot in uor best ever 11...

[Conor]

I have a feeling if Rafa was to leave in the next twp to three years and join another club he would certainly be looking to persuade John Arne to come with him. Thats how much Rafa rates him. Wasn't he the first player to get a new and improved contract under Rafa?

[WillG]

JAR is world class and has been for a year or so now - he's still got no right foot though.

 

His second -half, right foot swinger that missed the ball completely was priceless

Edited September 25, 2006 by WillG

[Igors Uncle Dave]

Crackin player whos is very consistent and with goals like that a few times every season................

[Bootle Buck]

I mentioned in sa thread I posted last week that we have missed Riise and I never really thought I would say that. However, he brings a certain calm to the defence and is always capable of scoring very nvaluable goals. I don't think Warnock or Aurelio will be able to pry Riise from LB unless he gets injured again.