Liverpool Fc @ Anfield - Reds Supporters Gatherings

[KingEros]

Depends on how you look at it ... despite Agger confirmed out for the rest of the season, Rafa is comfy to have only 3 established centre-backs:

Either ... Skrtel is deemed to be ready for the hustle & bustle of the Premier League, once he gets back his match fitness
Or ... Hobbs is sent out for the "fighting" experience, so he can blooded fully next season

Whatever the case, we will have 5 solid centre-backs next season.

HOBBS SEALS SCUNTHORPE SWITCH
Steve Hunter 24 January 2008

Liverpool have announced that centre half Jack Hobbs is to spend the remainder of the season on loan at Championship side Scunthorpe United.
The former Lincoln City defender made his first team debut as a last-minute substitute during a 4-2 Carling Cup win at Reading in September 2007, and has made five appearances for Rafa Benitez's team this season.

His last appearance for the first team was the 1-0 Carling Cup defeat by Chelsea.

The 19-year-old reserve team captain joins the Iron who are fighting to stay in the Championship. The loan spell will last until May 5.

[Cummingliao]

The latest news on the refinancing deal. Looks like we are stuck with the lousy Yanks at least for now.

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Liverpool | Liverpool complete £350m package

[Cummingliao]

Interesting perspective on the Reds current situation.

BBC SPORT | Mihir Bose

[rahl]

Originally Posted by KingEros

Depends on how you look at it ... despite Agger confirmed out for the rest of the season, Rafa is comfy to have only 3 established centre-backs:

Is Agger confirmed out? Thought it was for a month.

[KingEros]

Originally Posted by rahl

Is Agger confirmed out? Thought it was for a month.

AGGER SUFFERS INJURY SETBACK
Jimmy Rice
14 Jan 08

Daniel Agger has suffered a recurrence of the metatarsal injury which has kept him out since September.

Specialists have yet to confirm how long the Dane will now be out of action, but Rafa Benitez doesn't expect Agger to feature this month.

The news comes just days after the centre-back was due to make a comeback in a reserve game at Blackburn, only for the match to be cancelled due to the weather.

Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv: "We've had some bad news in that Agger has the same problem again. He was training and ready to play but yesterday in training he felt something, so we need to go back and start from the beginning.

"It's not easy to say when he will be back. He is going to see different surgeons and then we will be able to analyse the situation."

Asked if the defender was likely to feature in the next few weeks, Benitez added: "No, I don't think so."

Ok, the above is the official release.
I made my own conclusions from reading in between the lines:
1) starting from beginning
2) kept him out since Sep ... which is 3-4 months
We barely have 4 months left of this season ...

[KingEros]

Originally Posted by Cummingliao

BBC SPORT | Mihir Bose

Thanks for this perspective ...

"The refinancing story should be seen as just one episode in a long running Liverpool soap opera. The final act is far from being written."

Personally, I feel that even this temporary truce (refinancing deal going through) will only stay temporary ... the next step for the Yanks to take, as damage control, is to ensure we still see Mascherano wearing LFC colours come next season & beyond.

Looking further ahead, I just hope this doesn't mean we gonna lose another 3-5 good years (becoz manager get changed & players get distracted) before LFC get back to where they really belong again ...

Although we have a good crop of players in their early 20s**, we may still never get there ... dun forget, our 2 major icons will be over 30 by then: Carra is 30 this year while Gerrard is 28 this year!!!

Haizzz ...


** at least had first-team appearance before
24 this year: Torres, Mascherano, Agger, Skrtel
23 this year: Carson
22 this year: Babel, Leto, Peltier, El Zhar
21 this year: Leiva, Guthrie, Idrizaj
20 & below: Hobbs, Insua

[KingEros]

Originally Posted by Cummon

Really embarrassed with our first half performance, NO more off pitch distractions as excuses, please

For the first time, when sent out to play, Itandje doesn't seem like himself ... caught out of position & so unsure throughout, although he did show his reflexes with that 1-handed save of a point-blank header. At that moment, the image of Calamity James just flashed through my mind ...

It also seemed to be first-match jitters for Skrtel ... but for whatever little I saw, I dare say he's gonna be like Henchoz, Ruddock or even Song - diving in all the time, but no much of a footballing brain. But I still hope I am wrong.

[picu]

Originally Posted by KingEros

For the first time, when sent out to play, Itandje doesn't seem like himself ... caught out of position & so unsure throughout, although he did show his reflexes with that 1-handed save of a point-blank header. At that moment, the image of Calamity James just flashed through my mind ...

Itandje's body movements always gives me the feeling he is quite kan jiong kind. Considering he only kept 1 clean sheet (5-0 win against Luton if I'm not wrong) out of 6 games, not sure if he is good enough for a first team position on a regular basis yet.

Finnan seems to be making quite a number of mistakes lately. Hope his retirement from international football will also see an improvement on his form.

[KingEros]

Originally Posted by picu

Itandje's body movements always gives me the feeling he is quite kan jiong kind. Considering he only kept 1 clean sheet (5-0 win against Luton if I'm not wrong) out of 6 games, not sure if he is good enough for a first team position on a regular basis yet.

Yes, he has kept only 1 clean sheet so far ... but then again, to be fair, he wasn't given much of a chance against the goals he conceded ... but on the other hand, he has fared rather admirably pulling off 1-on-1 & reflex saves in all of those matches.
IMHO, his only shaky game was yesterday ... perhaps, he wasn't too comfortable with a centre-back in front of him, who was playing his first competitive game for the club & was not too confident with his touches himself.
Anyway, Itandje will be good enough to be NO MORE THAN #2 at this club ... since there is already a string of young keepers** breathing down his neck.

On another note ... I'm more concerned with what Rafa is gonna do with Carson next season, considering the not too far-fetched possibility of Capello promoting him to the England #1 spot.

**
Nikolay Mihaylov, 20, Bulgarian under-21 international & 1 senior cap
David Martin, 22, England youth international
Martin Hansen, 18, Danish youth international
Peter Gulacsi, 18, Hungarian under-17 international
Dean Bouzanis, 18, Australian under-17 international

[Cummon]

Originally Posted by KingEros

It also seemed to be first-match jitters for Skrtel ... but for whatever little I saw, I dare say he's gonna be like Henchoz, Ruddock or even Song - diving in all the time, but no much of a footballing brain. But I still hope I am wrong

This 'Mr Beh Hell Cioh' looks quite pacy & can't be worse than Traore huh ?, who has a CL medal in his possession

So at the moment our leading goal scorers happen to be our captain,an ex-captain & a national team captain, something to do with mental toughness ?

[Cummon]

double post

[rahl]

Originally Posted by KingEros

It also seemed to be first-match jitters for Skrtel ... but for whatever little I saw, I dare say he's gonna be like Henchoz, Ruddock or even Song - diving in all the time, but no much of a footballing brain. But I still hope I am wrong.

Skrtel had a shocking game, considering it's against part-timers, and if he plays just as badly against league opposition, then he might well overtake Babb as our worst defensive signing in terms of price.

Having said that, if we are going to jump on his back, it's gonna undermine his confidence and only make things worse, so for the time being, let's back him all the way. Rafa is at least right - Skrtel did a lot of good and bad things in one game.

[Regaine]

Originally Posted by KingEros

Let's look at facts again ...

RAFA BENITEZ became the manager of Liverpool in 04 ... IT IS MY PERSONAL WISH TO SEE HIM BECOME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL & LONGEST SERVING IN LIVERPOOL'S HISTORY.

Rafa won the Champions League in 04-05 ... HIS 1ST SEASON IN CHARGE!!!
Rafa won the FA Cup in 05-06 ... HIS 2ND SEASON IN CHARGE!!!

Yes, he is after all still human ... & HAD 1 TROPHYLESS SEASON SO FAR, albeit a near miss:
06-07 ... Champions League finalist

Sure, Rafa hasn't brought home the Premier League yet ... but so has 4 other managers not, over a span of 17 seasons!!!
Facts dun lie ... if Rafa is given the time like Ferguson & Wenger got (plus the full backing consistently from the board too), I'm sure my personal wish will be materialise as an eventuality.

Agree with your facts. Facts dont lie. You also agree that so far Rafa have not brought the Premier League to Anfield. Facts also don't lie when you see your favourite team is alawys also at 4th position.Facts also don't lie when your team have been drawing quite a lot recently and especially to weaker teams. Why is that so? If the so-called rotation system is to let the players rests and be fresh for the next game , why am I seeing that their passing is not up to the mark? Facts also why a non-league can score 2 goals at Anfield?

[Regaine]

Originally Posted by rahl

Skrtel had a shocking game, considering it's against part-timers, and if he plays just as badly against league opposition, then he might well overtake Babb as our worst defensive signing in terms of price.

Having said that, if we are going to jump on his back, it's gonna undermine his confidence and only make things worse, so for the time being, let's back him all the way. Rafa is at least right - Skrtel did a lot of good and bad things in one game.

We should give the guy some time to settle in at Anfield. But by the time he is ready the season could be over .

[SKILLFULL LICK]

Originally Posted by Regaine

If the so-called rotation system is to let the players rests and be fresh for the next game , why am I seeing that their passing is not up to the mark? Facts also why a non-league can score 2 goals at Anfield?

Bro,actually personally i got noting against the so called rotation system,the problem is,our rafa dont know how to use it or play it,and he still insists on using it.Always remember this,there is no such thing as right or wrong in football long as u deliver the result