have we left a few players behind this season?

[Stevie H]

arbeloa seems to have displaced riise at left-back, crouchy is pretty obviously fourth choice up front, kewell's missing presumed invalided and of course agger displaced sami as first choice last year. . . .have we moved on a stage both in terms of players' mobility and ability? team now seems full of players that can play a quick, high-tempo game at pace and with real mobility. riise and crouch in particular don't seem to fit that mould. reckon rafa's moved on from them and they're now squad players but less equal than others?

[sean]

Far more athletic outfit. Pace and strength all over the field with the ability to defend and break quickly. The thing we missed was creativity upfront and we've remedied that, and some. Agger is a fantastic footballing centre back who operates as a 5th midfielder when teams sit deep, releasing Xabi and the likes to play 20 yards further up the park.

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Agger is everything that the Mancs wish Rio was was

[McBain]

Leave no man behind

[owenthomas]

we are definitely more mobile - we're closing down quicker, moving the ball about better, attacking with pace and intelligence.. the difference with the team this season (so far) to last is there for all to see - if we can keep this up for the whole season we'll have a good one..

[spencer]

Since January we have added Arbeloa, Mascherano, Voronin, Torres, Babel and Benayoun to the main squad.

None of those was guaranteed to be a success but all have turned up trumps straightaway - no wonder we've moved up a level.

 

The pace, movement and technical ability of the squad now is a joy to behold.

[Phil236849]

good thread

 

another way of looking at progress is comparing this team with recent "vintages". i was thinking the other day that there's a number of players who played a lot for us over the last 5 years or so who, even at top form and at the age and fitness of their peak, would not get close to getting in this team: eg henchoz hamann smicer murphy berger heskey baros cisse ?owen?

 

another thing i remember is an article i before we won our 4th against roma in rome when i was a lad. think it was in the times. the guy was saying we had a chance as when we won in 81, we had four world class players (cant remember who he selected but suspect dalglish souness and clemence appeared in his selection), and he said we again had 4, and i think he picked souey kenny rush and lawro.

 

yes, no jockey - in those days i recall the broadsheets often rated lawro higher - but the point is we had a number of world class individuals and some who were close to call. Now, I'd say that Gerrard and Mascherano are stand out world class players, and good cases can be made for carra, pepe, alonso, and torres. and i don't think we have had such a collection of really impressive players for some time

 

making good progress, that's for sure. the interesting thing will be that if we have say a £30m kitty in the summer, where will we spend it? depends how the season goes and what's on the market, but i do feel we are closer to having a squad we dont need to change significantly for as long as I can remember. well at least since the end of kenny's managerial era.

[cymrococh]

Hamman, Owen and Berger were definitely good enough for this team.

[Ronnie Whelan]

As the season progresses I am sure we will identify positions that we feel will need strengethening. Personally I feel we need another CB. Sure Sami has been a fantastic servent to the club and still has it up top but sometime his feet cant match his mind. If we have an injury to Carra or Agger and have to meet a top side in the premiership or Europe then Samu can be left quite exposed. Rafa has brought in a bunch of CBs and defensive midfielders who could convert to CB but none are ready to step up in the games we could need them in.

 

There is also an argument for another winger but thats for another day and probably being greedy to boot as Pennant has really come on.

[Guest Dexter]

Another way to look at it is this.

One of my mates is a manc, and for years he has been saying to me "realistically how many Liverpool players would make the United team", as much as it killed me i knew he had a point. However this year i reckon only Ronaldo and Rooney out of the united squad would have a chance of making our starting 11!

[Phil236849]

  Paul Caruso said:

Hamman, Owen and Berger were definitely good enough for this team.

 

 

hamann would not oust alonso or mascherano from anchoring defence

 

berger more arguable, but not sure he would have been seen by rafa as enough of a player who would stretch a team with width

 

owen does not meet the rafa team player striker mould. he doesn't pick out and out goalscoring pygmies, and, when push came to shove, he told the board he didn't rate that sort of player high enough to warrant the sort of contract owen wanted.

[sean]

Paddy Berger? Not a hope in hell.

[Phil236849]

  Dexter said:

Another way to look at it is this.

One of my mates is a manc, and for years he has been saying to me "realistically how many Liverpool players would make the United team", as much as it killed me i knew he had a point. However this year i reckon only Ronaldo and Rooney out of the united squad would have a chance of making our starting 11!

 

yes and whilst there's a number of their other players they would maintain are better than ours, i think even the most one-eyed sincere manc would struggle to deny that they'd take into their first team reina, finnan, mascherano, gerrard and torres

[jimmylibel]

  sean said:

Paddy Berger? Not a hope in hell.

 

One left footed, shoot on sight merchant is more than enough

[yuriska]

  Phil236849 said:

hamann would not oust alonso or mascherano from anchoring defence

 

berger more arguable, but not sure he would have been seen by rafa as enough of a player who would stretch a team with width

 

owen does not meet the rafa team player striker mould. he doesn't pick out and out goalscoring pygmies, and, when push came to shove, he told the board he didn't rate that sort of player high enough to warrant the sort of contract owen wanted.

 

Quite agree about Didi and Owen. However I think Berger (when he was fit - early on) would displace all left wingers we have used in the last 3 years. Including HK - maybe only because HK is almost permanently injured, but still replace him nonetheless.

 

Though I think all three would have made the squad.

[Stevie H]

  Paul Caruso said:

Hamman, Owen and Berger were definitely good enough for this team.

am not sure any of those three would. hamann and berger not quick or mobile enough, owen not up to the quick passing / posession thing.

[Stevie H]

  Phil236849 said:

yes and whilst there's a number of their other players they would maintain are better than ours, i think even the most one-eyed sincere manc would struggle to deny that they'd take into their first team reina, finnan, mascherano, gerrard and torres

not in a million years would any manc take finnan over neville.

[Guest JV]

Riise will be back.

[Hassony]

  Phil236849 said:

hamann would not oust alonso or mascherano from anchoring defence

 

berger more arguable, but not sure he would have been seen by rafa as enough of a player who would stretch a team with width

 

owen does not meet the rafa team player striker mould. he doesn't pick out and out goalscoring pygmies, and, when push came to shove, he told the board he didn't rate that sort of player high enough to warrant the sort of contract owen wanted.

hamman is as good as momo or Mascherano, he would have been part of the rotation in the middle

 

and how do you know what rafa told the board about Owen?

[Phil236849]

  Steve H said:

not in a million years would any manc take finnan over neville.

 

 

neville last played in 1973 - fact!

[Hassony]

  Steve H said:

not in a million years would any manc take finnan over neville.

Finnan is a player that is only appreciated by his own fans

[Phil236849]

  Hassony said:

hamman is as good as momo or Mascherano, he would have been part of the rotation in the middle

 

and how do you know what rafa told the board about Owen?

 

 

mascher - do you really think that? dont get me wrong, hamann was a good player for us, but i really think mascher's ina different league

 

it was widely reported at the time that when madrid "swooped", contract negotiations with owen were advanced, and a big wage increase was being seriously considered, and that rafa indicated to the board that owen wasnt worth it and we should take the money. my recollection is that it was echo-level reported. it also stands to reason.

[Mikey]

  Dexter said:

Another way to look at it is this.

One of my mates is a manc, and for years he has been saying to me "realistically how many Liverpool players would make the United team", as much as it killed me i knew he had a point. However this year i reckon only Ronaldo and Rooney out of the united squad would have a chance of making our starting 11!

So Giggs wouldn't get in??? Still the best LW in the PL at 34.

Tevez wouldn't displace Kuyt???? Everyone on here, bar a few of us, wanted him more than life itself.

Eagles wouldn't displace Gerrard???

[vish]

  Hassony said:

Finnan is a player that is only appreciated by his own fans

 

maybe so, but i reckon neville is a better player.

[Hassony]

  Mikey said:

So Giggs wouldn't get in??? Still the best LW in the PL at 34.

Tevez wouldn't displace Kuyt???? Everyone on here, bar a few of us, wanted him more than life itself.

Eagles wouldn't displace Gerrard???

 

I wouldn't replace Kuyt with Tevez, I think they are the same level personally, but Kuyt it more adaptable to our system