Here's one for you

[Knox_Harrington]

We could well sell Garcia in the summer.

 

We need one left back, two right mids and at least two forwards. Assuming we get the left back (cynical thirty year old Argentinean, would eat your kids soon as look you type) and one of the right mids cheap/free that still requires three reasonably sized (£7m+) signings verging on the expensive.

 

Cisse will go as will Mellor, Kirkland, Dudek and TLT leaving Pongolle's future in Fowler's hands. However all this won't raise enough money in itself on top of our usual spend. The nest most expendable member of the squad, i.e. not having a regular position, is Garcia.

 

The Morientes question is more complicated. Is it worth selling Morientes for, say, £4m only to have to pay ten to get a player who should definitely be better than him? Because Morientes will have to be replaced. Garcia wouldn't be and we'd get more than £4m for him. If we could get two genuinely quality, pacey options next to Crouch/Morientes such as Defoe and Owen we'd be in better shape. The other side of the coin is that we could let Morientes go and keep Garcia and have him be an option to play off Crouch/??? with, say, Owen or Defoe. But I do think that one of Morientes or Garcia will go and am beginning to think it could well be the latter.

 

I say all this under the proviso that I've long been a massive supporter of Luis. I think he's great and hope I'm wrong. Just how I can see things playing out.

[psl]

Really can't see Rafa selling Garcia. Think he's safe.

[Bailo]

I sincerely hope not. I want Luis here until he retires.

[Stew F]

I see where your'e coming from but I think Garcia's versatility will be his saviour.

A player who can play off the striker, left mid or right mid is surely more valuable to the sqad than a out of form out-and-out striker.

[Ombudsam]

On a very simplistic level Garcia's great and Nando is shyte so keep the good one

 

I'd replace mori within the squad with Kewell and have Gonzalez and Zenden play it out for LM. I think we only need one RM and one striker. Garcia and SWP/Pennant/whoever on the right should be enough. It still leaves us with a pool of 4 cms in momo goes to specsavers.

 

Up front we'll have a choice of Kewell, Crouch and imo opinion Owen or defoe or someone like that. I think we'll keep fowler as rafa said he won't be fit til next season so he's looking at it long term. We've got Pongy to replace him anyway.

 

Maybe we'll get that Aurelio as LB on a free, I don't know. I think we'd be able to cover that outlay

[chiliking]

Of course, if Rafa sold Garcia, we would score even less than this season. That sounds sensible.Not:

 

Garcia is one of the three LFC-players that is 1) capable of hitting the net, and 2) can do the unexpected(+/-).

[Benitez]

Sell, flog, give away on freebies, beg clubs to take 'em from us - fit each description to each player :

 

Cisse

Kirkland

Traore

Warnock

Le Tallec

Mellor

Potter

Whitbread

Diao

Dudek

Cheyrou (is he still our player??? Cant remember)

 

It's gonna be a busy summer trying to get rid of players who have little or no future here, simply cos they ain't good enough or just don't fit in, without selling players who are good enough!

[McBain]

I hope we sell him. I dont think we will though

 

Morientes I think will deffo be off though. Ditto Cisse

Edited February 24, 2006 by Mcbain

[Bootle Buck]

Morientes is a striker and was bought to score goals. Which is something he isn't doing. I think we would gladly take 4 million for him. Luis offers more options but can also score some clutch goals. I don't see Garcia as a regular starter but would like to see him used more as an impact player. We could use him off the bench or start him when we play a high tempo game. Either that or convert him into a RW.

[Knox_Harrington]

On a very simplistic level Garcia's great and Nando is shyte so keep the good one

 

I'd replace mori within the squad with Kewell

That remains ridiculous. We need the player to hold the ball up there. Garcia or Kewell off Crouch/Morientes I can see but not, say, Defoe off Kewell. We'd never hold it.

 

If Morientes goes we will need to replace him with a genuine quality target man. The feeling may well be that Morientes can be afforded another six months to show his class and get the chance to be play with genuine pacy wide men and a partner who plays off him.

 

I'm just thinking pragmatically. Sell Morientes, make a loss and need another player. Sell Garcia, make a profit and put money towards genuine quality pacy goal-poacher or winger.

 

Morientes is a striker and was bought to score goals. Which is something he isn't doing. I think we would gladly take 4 million for him. Luis offers more options but can also score some clutch goals. I don't see Garcia as a regular starter but would like to see him used more as an impact player. We could use him off the bench or start him when we play a high tempo game. Either that or convert him into a RW.

Is a nice idea but:

 

- He can't be converted into that, he is what he is.

 

- We need three expensive players at the very least.

 

There may have to be sacrifices. Would you rather have £7m or an impact sub?

[Ripley]

If push came to shove, I'd sell Kewell long before I even considered selling Garcia and there surely wouldn't be much in the respective valuations.

Edited February 24, 2006 by Ripley

[Knox_Harrington]

If push came to shove, I'd sell Kewell long before I even considered selling Garcia and thee surely wouldn't be much in the respective valuations.

There would because Kewell's on £60k a week. Garcia almost certainly won't be. We'd get at least what we paid for Garcia. We'd probably get what we'd paid for Kewell.

[Will]

What an utterly ridiculous idea

[Knox_Harrington]

What an utterly ridiculous idea

No problem with you thinking that Will but I'd even go so far as to say that your excellent new signature suggests that if to help build the squad we need to win the league a couple of players have to be sacrificed then they will be. Garcia is currently our most valuable expendable asset (i.e. not Reina, Carra, Alonso, Gerrard) if we keep playing this system. We know the manager is ruthless.

[BG]

Not sure why we needa left back. When JAR has started there witht he other three we've not conceded many at all. He's fine there.

[Ombudsam]

That remains ridiculous. We need the player to hold the ball up there. Garcia or Kewell off Crouch/Morientes I can see but not, say, Defoe off Kewell. We'd never hold it.

 

If Morientes goes we will need to replace him with a genuine quality target man. The feeling may well be that Morientes can be afforded another six months to show his class and get the chance to be play with genuine pacy wide men and a partner who plays off him.

 

I'm just thinking pragmatically. Sell Morientes, make a loss and need another player. Sell Garcia, make a profit and put money towards genuine quality pacy goal-poacher or winger.

Is a nice idea but:

 

- He can't be converted into that, he is what he is.

 

- We need three expensive players at the very least.

 

There may have to be sacrifices. Would you rather have £7m or an impact sub?

 

We played some great football with Kewell just off Owen and Kewell had a good partnership with bridges. And Arsenal until Adebayor didn't have a target man and even then long term i think they will go with RvP and Henry. Even though I thinkcrouch is good enough we can use him as and when we need him. He doesn't have to be our a,b,c,d and e plan.

[vish]

Garcia has definitely proved himself and is now a consistent member of the Spain squad, but he still struggles with the pace & physicality of the Premiership. I'm not so sure that he is going to improve on this much more..

 

He would do VERY well in Spain...

[Guest Red Flame]

Garcia is one of the three LFC-players that is 1) capable of hitting the net, and 2) can do the unexpected(+/-).

I largely agree with you. Trouble is sometimes the unexpected with Garcia is whether he will retain the ball or not.

[Stevie H]

Not sure why we needa left back. When JAR has started there witht he other three we've not conceded many at all. He's fine there.

 

although we have kromkamp to cover finnan and the cover we have for riise is clearly not up to the job.

[Kite]

Don't see what's the issue with selling Garcia. Rafa himself has been alluding to the need for Garcia to improve his game and his consistency. Obviously, if he fails to do that in the coming months, Rafa will consider letting him go, especially if there are players definitely coming in for wing and attacking positions.

[chiliking]

I largely agree with you. Trouble is sometimes the unexpected with Garcia is whether he will retain the ball or not.

I know, thats why I put the + and - behind unexpected

[Earl Hafler]

No problem with you thinking that Will but I'd even go so far as to say that your excellent new signature suggests that if to help build the squad we need to win the league a couple of players have to be sacrificed then they will be. Garcia is currently our most valuable expendable asset (i.e. not Reina, Carra, Alonso, Gerrard) if we keep playing this system. We know the manager is ruthless.

 

But to build a title winning side you have to have a title winning squad and Garcia, like Riise, is a very good player to have in your squad.

 

The fact that Rafa keeps Garcia on the pitch despite him playing like a t**t underlines how much faith he has in the little Spaniard with a glint in his eye.

[Knox_Harrington]

But to build a title winning side you have to have a title winning squad and Garcia, like Riise, is a very good player to have in your squad.

 

The fact that Rafa keeps Garcia on the pitch despite him playing like a t**t underlines how much faith he has in the little Spaniard with a glint in his eye.

Agree with that (and he keeps him on because he can bang one at any time) but if we had genuine quality wide right then he'll be used up top. I'd have Garcia ahead of Defoe (for example) but I wonder if Rafa would have the more out-and-out forward.

 

We're in a situation where we need 22 class acts to challenge Chelsea. I'm sceptical as to whether or not we can afford to build that squad without selling a player like Garcia.

[Knoxy]

Get a right winger, who can run with the ball and hug the touchline, and 2 new strikers

 

Job done

[Ombudsam]

That Messi lad's alright. How much will he cost.