The Robbie Fowler situation

[magneto]

Is he off at the end of the season or are we gonna keep him and wait till Lindfield comes up the ranks?

[BDB]

Bunch of emails going back and forth on one list I'm on about him off to DC United in the States...

[Cobs]

reckon it's his last season here, links to the USA are unsurprising.

 

Let's hope he can contribute a crucial goal or two on the way to No.19 before he departs.

[Kahnee]

Thought he'd fancy LA Galaxy now...

[Frosty Jack]

Is he off at the end of the season or are we gonna keep him and wait till Lindfield comes up the ranks?

 

Is Lindfield that much of a genuine prospect for the first team?

[RP]

Is Lindfield that much of a genuine prospect for the first team?

 

Not arf, he's the next Jon Newby dontchaknow?

[Guest Scot]

In footballing terms I don't think it really matters, does it? As long as he gets a chance to leave with pride then I'll be happy for him to leave. I hope he retires in the summer, probably.

[Mike]

dust off my ermine!

[Andy Mac]

The guy is a hero. Brilliant that he came back to the club - he hasn't really cut it on the pitch, perhaps he's done most in helping the development of Crouch and Kuyt maybe even the young 'uns coming up the ranks- who knows? He's still got something to offer at a lower level. I just hope the next time he leaves he's given an opportunity to say a proper goodbye to the fans

[Guest Scot]

dust off my ermine!

 

[Martian]

We cannot wait to have him come to Washington DC. Fowler's return to Liverpool has made him a legend in our eyes and he will greatly boost the Reds in DC.

[Frosty Jack]

Not arf, he's the next Jon Newby dontchaknow?

 

"world class striker" -Koptalk 1999.

 

 

dust off my ermine!

 

Exactly, who else are we going to introduce on the stroke of 90 minutes to score penalties against relegation fodder on the end of 10-0 humiliations to the deafening sound of a brass band and canned applause?

[Guest Scot]

"world class striker" -Koptalk 1999.

 

hehe...Patridge supplying the crosses for Newby and Mellor. If we can get Samba in we'll win it all!

[Frosty Jack]

hehe...Patridge supplying the crosses for Newby and Mellor. If we can get Samba in we'll win it all!

 

Leyton Maxwell on the wing.....Welshy passing like souness to Rush. Glory days.

[Poolfrog]

Is he off at the end of the season or are we gonna keep him and wait till Lindfield comes up the ranks?

He's most definitely off. No way on God's green earth he'll get a contract extension

[Gray - YPC]

I've noticed when Rafa speaks about his strikers he mentions about having to pick between Bellamy, Kuyt and Crouch, but often doesn;t mention Robbie. I think that speaks volumes.

 

Saying that... he's certainly done a job since his return!

[fabfive]

He's most definitely off. No way on God's green earth he'll get a contract extension

 

But the Earth is Blue..all that water....

[floyd the barber]

in a way, hes the perfect 4th pick striker.....experienced and always tends to score when he plays, sure hes excellent for club morale behind the scenes too.

[Guest GeCk0]

Personally I think the links to him going to the United States is crap. He'll leave Liverpool with pride and he'll retire and go off into the sunset to work on his other investments or maybe do something that still links him to football.

 

Robbie to me has always been a man of honour and loyalty. He said a few times that he wanted to begin and end his career at Liverpool and that coming back was his dream. When your heart is settled, your body is home and will no longer wander.

[fyds]

dust off my ermine!

A better class of prison slang? (Not Walton, that's for sure)

[dorgie]

Interesting bit from today's Post. Is this a Rafa ploy to keep Robbie on his toes for the remainder of the season or is he genuinely considering him for next season ?

 

Also the bit about Zenden at the end is interesting.

 

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liv...-name_page.html

 

Tribute to Fowler as strike partner Crouch feels the painFeb 26 2007

 

by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

 

RAFAEL BENITEZ has refused to rule out extending Robbie Fowler?s Anfield career after the striker underlined why his manager regards him as Liverpool?s best finisher.

 

Fowler netted twice from the penalty spot as Benitez?s side cruised to a 4-0 home win over Sheffield United on Saturday.

 

It took the 31-year-old on to seven goals for the season, tightened Liverpool?s grip on third place and stretched their unbeaten Premiership run at Anfield to 30 games.

 

Fowler is out of contract at the end of the season and is facing an uncertain future, with Liverpool yesterday confirming they have reached an agreement with Andriy Voronin to bring the Ukrainian striker to Anfield.

 

The 27-year-old, who has been playing his football in the German Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, will join in the summer after signing what is believed to be a four-year deal.

 

But Benitez admits there is still a chance Fowler could yet earn a new Liverpool contract if he continues to make the most of his first-team opportunities.

 

?If he can score goals every game, we will see,? said the Liverpool manager. ?You never know. You know that we have good strikers and good possibilities. Now we have a lot of games to play so it?s better to be focused on those games. We can talk about his future later.

 

?He?s a really good finisher, the best we have. Finishing, he?s really good. If he?s not with us next season, we?ll need to look for another one like him.?

 

Fowler also laid on Steven Gerrard?s eighth goal of the season in the 73rd minute that sealed Liverpool?s win, with Sami Hyypia striking the third three minutes earlier.

 

It was only Fowler?s third Premiership start of the campaign and his first since the Merseyside derby at Goodison back in September. And Benitez added: ?If we can create chances for him, we know that he?s a very good finisher. The question now is we have four very good strikers with different skills and qualities.

 

?In the air you can use Crouch, Kuyt will work hard between the lines, and running behind the defence will be Bellamy.

 

?We thought they would play deep on Saturday, so I wanted Crouch to win balls in the air and Robbie could operate in and around the box to take the chances.?

 

Fowler?s contribution was also hailed by team-mate Dirk Kuyt, who said: ?I think Robbie has shown us yet again that he?s a legend. It?s hard when you?re not in the squad all the time, and not always playing, and yet he scored twice and also played really well.

 

?He?s very important for the team, even when he?s not on the pitch with us. It?s unbelievable the way he finishes his penalties. He?s still got a very cool head and is a very good player.

 

?I think Robbie is, like I said, just very important for the team. Even off the pitch he tries to help the younger people, like me when I first came here. That?s really important, but the final decision isn?t up to me.?

 

Kuyt was an early substitute for Peter Crouch, who was carried off midway through the first half after being kicked in the face by Sheffield United striker Rob Hulse.

 

Crouch has suffered a broken nose and required stitches to a gash, although it is not yet known whether he will be unavailable for next week?s visit of Manchester United.

 

Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven coach Ronald Koeman has revealed he wants to sign Liverpool winger Bolo Zenden in the summer.

 

Zenden began his career at the Dutch club before moving on to Barcelona, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and then Liverpool.

 

And Koeman said: ?Zenden is a good player with a lot of experience and we want to increase the amount of Dutch players.

 

?He has a warm feeling for PSV. We are really looking for these type of guys.?

 

Zenden, though, has played down the possibility of returning to Holland just yet and insists he is happy at Liverpool, and said: ?I had a fantastic time at PSV, but I am not sure I have finished my job abroad to return to the Netherlands.?

 

[Guest gumper]

fowler is going to retire at end of season; hes had an offger from the states but is more than likely to turn it down.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

He's most definitely off. No way on God's green earth he'll get a contract extension

[Alonso]

Fowler: I'd Love to Stay

 

EXCLUSIVE by Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo

 

ROBBIE FOWLER feels he?s still got plenty of time left at the top level of English football after celebrating his return with a penalty double on Saturday.

 

The Kop legend knows his Anfield future will remain uncertain until the end of the season.

 

But Fowler says he?ll play for as long as possible whether he earns a longer stay at Liverpool or not, and hasn?t given up hope of securing another extension for the Reds.

 

?I know it?s all a bit up in the air at the moment,? said the striker.

 

?I?ve not spoken to anyone about the future and to be honest I?m still just focusing on enjoying every minute I?m at Liverpool.

 

?I?ll sit down with people and think about next season when the time?s right, but although I?m not the youngest player at the club, I?m not that old either. I still feel I?ve a few years left in me yet and I?ll be carrying on for longer.

 

?Some people have mentioned moving into coaching and I even saw a move to the USA mentioned, but I honestly haven?t even thought about anything like that yet.

 

?I still think I?ve a lot to contribute as a player and I?m just focused on playing as much as I can between now and the end of this season. There?s a lot to play for.?

 

Fowler was both player and provider in the comfortable 4-0 win, with his penalty tally for the Reds now an impressive 20 in 26 attempts.

 

?I wasn?t aware of that record,? he said. ?I know I?ve missed some pens, but the key is always to make up your mind and stick to it.?

 

He added: ?Obviously it?s not easy to come back into the team when you?ve not played for a while, and I think that showed in some parts of my game.

 

?I?d prefer to score goals from open play rather than penalties, but I?m not complaining. I?ll take any opportunity which comes along to score.

 

?It was pleasing to play a part in the goal for Stevie at the end too. He?d made the penalties for me, so it was good to repay the compliment.?

 

With Manchester United on the immediate horizon, there?s nothing Fowler would love more than to inflict a title wound on the enemy.

 

Even the striker?s presence on the bench would wind up the opposition, but he?s realistic about his prospects of keeping his place.

 

?I?m not going to be kidding myself,? he said.

 

?I wouldn?t expect to be starting that game next weekend, but obviously to be involved in any way would be great.

 

?That?s up to the manager, but I?m not under any illusions about the situation and know there are other players who?ll come back.?

 

Liverpool will be monitoring the fitness of Peter Crouch who suffered a broken nose on Saturday.

[Romario]

If we could roll him on for penos american football stylee then perhaps

but other than that there will be no place for him I don't think.

 

With this new guy confirmed a while ago I think this'll be Robbies final swan song. A last 10 min sub and winning goal for him in the CL final V the Mancs would be ideal!