Liverpool missing an Arshavin – style matchwinner
Posted by AnfieldRed-Admin | Posted in Discussion, Liverpool FC, Players, Transfers | Posted on 31-08-2009
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Does anyone else think Liverpool are missing another match winner apart from Gerrard or Torres and wish we had someone like Arshavin in our side?
Don’t get me wrong; I’ve celebrated just as much as the next person when Gerrard has popped up with a late winner (such as against Boro last year/Bolton on Saturday) but if Gerrard and/or Torres are out who can we really rely on?
At the start of the transfer window there was talk of us signing David Silva; with Rafa Benitez admitting we were in for him but that changed : “It is true that we were asking about the situation with him but we are not happy with the situation now and he will not be a target for us”.
Our frontline is worryingly thin, and there’s no way Voronin/Ngog would lead the attack of any of the other teams of the so called “big four”, probably not even Villa, City or Everton (who have come closest in recent times to breaking the top 4) so why are we going into a new season with them as backup?
If you look at Arsenal, they have signed a class player in Arshavin – he’s quick, tricky and can score some absolute belters such as the one against the Mancs:
Also, I doubt anyone will forget the four goals he scored against Liverpool at Anfield, one of which was again a screamer:
The guy can play anywhere across the front line, and can win a game for Arsenal just as often as Gerrard does for us. I wouldn’t drop Kuyt for anyone simply because he runs his arse off every game, Riera on his day is a quality winger and Benayoun could trick his way out of a phonebox with 10 people in it, but when they have off games who else steps up to the plate and pulls out a goal from nowhere?
Liverpool have rarely had alot of flair players that will turn a game; and had Rafa been backed in the transfer market perhaps he could have picked up someone like Arshavin who would be the difference between struggling to break a team down and making them wish they’d never turned up.
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Number one, why would you break up the most profilic pairing in English football and perhaps the most feared in Europe, that being Torres Gerrard. Number two, what has Lucas done wrong this season, he has been a fair better player, his passing is top class, when he is given license to head forward, that is when we see him at his best. And number three, Carra has never played in LB before, why would you move him there? Insua is class, and is good going forward. Carra has probably been our worst player so far, the mixup between him and Kyrgiakos was Carra, Kyrgiakos played him the ball and Carra ran the other way. Stick with the team that Rafa has, I trust in Rafa
If strength in depth is the key to winning the Premier League title, then Liverpool may be destined to spend yet another season as nearly men.After falling just four points short of ending their painful 19-year wait for a domestic championship last May, this was the summer when Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez had his chance to apply the finishing touches to a squad that may only be a couple of players away from being hailed as the very best in the country.
Patio Furniture
If the rumours are to be believed, we were very close to signing Arshavin. Apparently, when Spurs came back in for Robbie Keane, Rafa decided to hijack Arsenal’s move for Arshavin (if you remember, Wenger was haggling over the fee) but the Keane deal happened so late that there was no time to do it. Anyway, true or not, it’s in the past now.
David Silva is a good player and would be a plus to our squad but I don’t think he’s worth the prices that are being quoted. Before the European Championships, Valencia would have been lucky to get £10m for him. He had a few good games and Spain won the tournament then suddenly he’s a £25m player and Villa is worth £30m. It didn’t do us any harm either of course, Torres is worth… what, £40m, £50m+?
As for us not having flair players, not a lot has changed since last season. We are now known for being extremely organised and hard working and missing out on the league by 4 points is not exactly shocking. Think back to the start of last season, we were getting results but it was as much by luck that anything else, we were playing terribly. Then we started to click, the organisation came back and were were almost impossible to break down. This time we haven’t been as lucky and have to re-organise to account for the loss of Xabi so it was always going to take a bit of fine tuning. Once we are looking solid again, then you will see the ‘flair players’ getting the freedom to do their stuff.
Finally, PLEASE register! There’s too many people posting as Anonymous and it’s really easy to register.
Firstly im sick of people saying LFC is all about Gerrard and Torres please have a look at the stats of last season. it is self explanatory. Source:TOMKINS: END THIS TORRES/GERRARD MYTH
Paul Tomkins 10 February 2009.
Gerrard has failed to start four league games –– Villa, United, Fulham and Portsmouth. Two of those are clearly very tough fixtures, against top-three sides. Two were at home, two away. And yet Liverpool’s record is won two, drawn two. Over 38 league games, that is worth an impressive 76 points.
Due to injury, Torres has failed to start no fewer than 15 league games. These resulted in ten wins, four draws and just one defeat. Over a 38 game season, that ratio would earn an incredible 86 points. That is a title-winning tally; In each of the two league games Liverpool started without both Torres and Gerrard, the Reds won: against United and Pompey
And now compare it with Utd.
United lost five league games last season. Rooney missed four of them, Ronaldo missed three, and they did not play together in any of those defeats.
In the 12 league matches Rooney did not start, United’s accrued a 69-point average when extrapolated over 38 games, as opposed to the 87 they actually racked up. In the seven games Ronaldo did not start, the average would have made an even worse total: 65 points.
These are really a speck of facts. So it is definitely not only two players in LFC.
I think we ve had great signings this season with Johnson who has proved himself so well. Krygiakos seems to be the player we need to shield any aerial attack and Aquilani who is a very clever player who can score some goals as well.
And lastly kindly register as Anon posts dont really serve the purpose of posting one’s opinion.
YNWA
During the transfer period, alot of names were mentioned. but due to our meager budget we could not buy match wining players. A player like Snidjer would have being very helpful to us but we negotiated poor and only went in for money. We have ourselves to blame. Can we win any thing this season. Your guest is as good as mine
Now that is what i call factual reasoning. When you back your arguments with statistics, you always win hands down!
Stevie mentioned Gerrard and Torres, I would also include Xabi Alonso who did not play all the games last season.
I really get muffed when we pin excuses on one player or another. I’ve said time and again that a team like Liverpool should NOT suffer when ANY player is not present. Of course we are better off with Gerrard in the starting 11, it’s not rocket science after all, but this is Liverpool, and we should be resiliant enough to find an alternative game plan and forge ahead when he is not available.
An Arshavin for Liverpool, of course we would have loved one. Arshavin is a match winner any day. Physically he is not a martian, but give him the ball and he is bound to make magic of it. But we don’t have Arshavin, so be it!
It’s like us saying, ‘Oh my God, we already lost 2!’, so what? We can afford to loose six for all that matters but we got to win the remaining games. Each season is a different story and this one will not be different. We are effectively already 6 points being, and that’s factual.
When we played Villa Rafa said we got to do better than last year, and we sucked. After he said the game against Bolton was vital, and we somehow made it. I know it’s a game by game affair but it’s from game one to the last game of the season, and each single point counts.
If we had drawn against Tottenham and Villa we would already be saying, ‘Omg, already 2 draws in 4 games, this is exactly like last year’. Had we drawn we’d already be two points better than we are now and still 4 points behind the leading pack.
We do have some facts in our favour. Man U have a phsychological wargame with Man City, and the Londoners (Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham) will be marking each other closely. They will take points away from each other, but that is where we have to have resolve and even outperform our possibilities. We must be focused on our game and be cynical, and lethal!
I cart believe the transfer window is over and and we bought fuck all, there was no point at all in selling Alonso we should of kept him and let him see out the last 3 years of his contract because the 33mil we got for him hasn’t gone far, i’m so upset at the way this clubs been run at moment i thought with parry gone things were gonna pick up but its probably got worse, we really need them yank cowboy fuckers out sooner rather than later
I dont know who this Arshoal is. It’s true Liverpool need more players. But so do man united and they didn’t seem to spend much this season. I think We need longterm central defenders. I have n’t seen the new Greek guy play yet but we need another Hansen? Hypia type of player. And in terms of choice up front I don’t agree that we need another striker we need one of the one’s that we have to hit a run of form. This comes from regular appearances. From I think Ngog looks the best long term And I agree that the Israeli has a lot of qualities going forward so don’t think there is a need to buy. And from what I have seen of the Italian ‘Benito’ Aquiliari that liverpool have signed he will have quite an impact and possibly allow gerard to stay back more and cover the defence.
what a load of shite you just put for a start look at man uniteds bench/squad compared to ours, they havent bought cos they dont need to, then long term central defenders what about Agger and Skrtel!!!! yeh we need better cover for them but i think we need winger & striker just a little more because i’m sorry to say but Ngog is no were near good enougth and also why would you want Gerrard to stay back and cover the defence when he’s the best attacker we have with Torres and dont we have Javier Mascherano to sit in front of the defence?!
At the moment there is no supply of defense splitting passes to the likes of Torres and Gerrard. Without any such supply, no prolific partnership will blossom. Even the likes of Maradona and Pele would need a decent supply of chances to put it away. In my opinion Gerrard is my choice to play in the centre of midfield who can do the job.At the same time Gerrard can still support Torres running into the box from midfield. I dont think anyone else in the current team can do any damage playing in that role and you think Lucas can?
I agree Lucas has improved but he is just not my choice for centre midfield.He is a liability at times especially when he is committing unwanted fouls around the box where we are time and time again punished. He needs to read the players better who will just dive when they see Lucas come near them.He needs to be more aware of whats going on. We could have used Nemeth but he has gone on loan.
And number three, Carra has never played in LB before, why would you move him there? I think You have misssed games where you have seen Carra playing as left back before and he has done justice playing as LB before.Carra has not been playing at his best but nevertheless i will still choose him to play coz he gives 120% effort everytime he plays.Insua has been awesome going forward but its defending of set pieces that we are lacking and opposing teams are actually using this to their benefit.We are losing games at set pieces. Our back 4 has been conceding silly goals from set pieces.
Insua does not have the height to deal with marking tall players just like the goal conceded at the Bolton game.If Skrtel comes back I would very much like to have a solid defence with Kygriakos and him in the middle that can deal with the height of opposing players.I rather have a solid defence to cut away silly goals and let the midfielders and forwards do their job.
This is just my opinion to rectify the immediate problems we are facing now. You can have your views in your opinion.
I enjoyed reading your opinion on what you feel the team is and is not doing right at the moment. The splitting passes you so rightly mentioned are not working anymore because we have become too predictable. If you notice no team is giving us any space at the back. The only time we will have space is if and when we score first. We have not done so against Spurs, Villa or Bolton, hence the struggle. Our tactics and game plans rarely change and the opposition Managers are by no means idiots, so they take countermeasures which is making our attacking quite stale.
Lucas is under the microscope because he is being asked to fill in Xabi’s shoes. My real surprise is how Rafa has not changed our gameplan since his departure! Many friends on here who know Nemeth better than me say that he was not yet ready for the ‘big-leap’ into the PL. Some state that Pacheco is!
With Carra, Skrtel, Agger, Insua, Aurelio, Kyrgiakos, Dossena and Johnson at the back we truthfully should not have any issues. The main issue is our zonal marking which does not work and with which Rafa wants to persist. Kyrgiakos was brought in to fill the ranks and as direct replacement for Hyppia (physically). Carra does not need to play left back, we have three players to cover that position.
The international break will get Aurelio, Agger and Aquilani closer to fitness. I just hope it gets us all closer to the form we had in the final part of last season.
Cosmos it definitely is a very interesting point of view. I would like to add that Aquilani will definitely bring in the game that you have mentioned and that would take off the pressure on Gerrard and would make him play his natural attacking game. as for Lucas i prefer him on the bench and dont agree with the Lucky Charm theory that Rafa has going on with him. As T-Bone has rightly suggested a change in game tactic is pertinent as all managers are aware of the Front threat. In the Bolton game we could see that Nuambe did a good job in the first half man-marking Gerrard.
I still say that the game plans will change once Aurelio and Aquilani are fit. it was good going into the break with a victory. Its time for them to play as though all games are the season deciding games.
YNWA
I must add that mind set u spoke about, of losing two games already is spot on. I feel this is going to be a totally different season and cannot in any stretch of imagination be compared to the previous one.. many of the teams are going to lose points.. it is advisable to follow each game only on its merit and not think of the season end rankings on one match basis.
YNWA
We cannot be complacent at any point this year, and I do hope that we will tackle every single competition with it’s due respect. Winning nothing is frustrating. Winning the League Cup is not what we are after but it’s always another trophy for us. Therefore I hope that we field our best team in all games, if anything introduce the emerging young stars we have at the right dosage…..no extreme turn-overs please Rafa!
I have written here many times that our defending and our attacking has become predictable. I agree that with Aurelio and Aquilani, and may I dare add Agger back in the fray we will have much more quality, and surely stronger attacking options. Aurelio has a sweet left foot and his crosses from deep are sorely missed. Aquilani will be a surprise to many, a sweet surprise. Agger then is good in the air and is the only central we have with a very decent long range shot at goal.
The is the squad we will have, at least until January. There will certainly be changes then. Babel, Dossena and probably Voronin will be on the way out, perhaps on loans with permanent signing options. We too will probably be getting a couple of players in, but most of the good ones won’t be eligible for the CL. I just hope we will still be in all competitions by that time and that we will be withing striking distance in the PL.
I think it’s time to change things so only registered members can post!
Russell, I agree. Can’t you work out a system where the real Liverpool supporters come on here and discuss their joys and frustrations?
I agree with u rep only members allowed to make posts.
Thanks anonymous.. I think gerard is better in midfield than in ‘attack’ He’s better when he plays all over the pitch in fact, but he’s an intelligent player and knows when to defend. Of course we need wingers and a striker you can argue me need 8 new players. Are you going to lend a few million quid to the board? Man united need players they need to replace ronaldo for a start so where are these replacements? The current man utd is the weakest i have seen in 20 years. In the current economic climate even Chelsea are tightening the belt. My suggestions were pratical, seeing as liverpool are clearly in financial problems at the moment I dont think Agger or skirrtel are a ‘replacement’ for hyyia. Maesherano does not ’sit in front of the defence’ he is a ball winner, for me there is a subtle difference do you not remember the macmahon and whelan combination? I can’t remember a better balance for a team. Of course you can’t live in the past and gerard goes forward more than whelan. But with gerard in midfield you have a player who creates and scores goals. With gerard in ‘attack’ it’s less disruptive to the opponents team as a whole. Any anyway even I could score goals for liverpool with the passes gerard creates from midfield!I don’t know much about ngog but I know they haven’t played many games so how does anyone know they can’t be shit or they wxouldnt have been bought these strikers. I think they should get a chance If you have an excellent midfield and defence your strikers will do the job given a run of matches..
Friends, it seems that most teams have announced their CL List. Have we? May sound stupid, but I can’t seem to get the info from anywhere! Any help?
Liverpool’s 22 goal-haul in their opening seven league games is their highest since 1895.They have won the last 14 league matches in which they opened the scoring since a 1-1 draw at Wigan on 28 January.Liverpool have scored 64 goals in 25 league games in 2009, more than any other side.Fernando Torres has scored five goals in six matches against Chelsea in all competitions.
Silva is another Benayoun type dribbler, we already have Yossi. Interestingly, Riera is currently keeping Silva out of the Spanish national side – though funnily quite a few of our fans don’t seem to rate Albert. Still, Silva is being touted at 20 mil plus so he must be miles better, right? Asharvin has turned out to be a diamond and I wish we’d have been in for him (rumours say we actually were), but he could just as easily as flopped. There aren’t many of his kind out there though, care to name some other candidates that are in our price range? (i.e. 1-2 million) It’s not easy, this management lark.
As for Voro, for some reason (the ponytail? the torn denim?) he’s the subject of bizarre vitriol. I actually think he’s palyed pretty well in his cameos this season (and in pre-season). Give him a chance. N’Gog? Well the lad’s scoring record is excellent considering the minutes he’s had on the pitch – he’s physical, fast and should do well this term. I still think Babel deserves a go up front (surely he can’t fare any worse than he has on the left), but Davide seems to be getting the nod. Still, Rafa sees a lot more of them than I do so I’ll defer to him on that one.
Chelsea probably for the title then (reckon they just have too much experience and overall quality to compete with on our relatively meagre budget) but we’ll be right up there fighting – especially when Aquilani, Agger and Aurelio return and the squad suddenly looks a million times stronger. And please no more booing of our own players this season!!
Don’t know about Silva, but after watching Arshavin tear apart the Dutch in the 2008 European Championships (with Russia) I was praying that Rafa would get this amazing player. Rafa is a fantastic manager, but when it comes to recognising talent I guess there’s no-one in the business who does it like Arsene Wenger.
maybe arshavin wouldn’t have done very well at liverpool due to the style of football u guys play, no offence because ur very organised and it seems to work wonders in europe but at arsenal arshavin settled in very quickly coz of the way arsenal play.
I am i huge liverpool fan and i couldnt agree more with this comment!!!
Liverpool is way too reserved. You’d notice when the ball is bouncing in their end of the field the centre backs just boot the ball high in the air and That is how they lose posession and fall prey to counter attacks.
If you look at a team like Arsenal or Chelsea… when under pressure in the back they dont just boot the ball to nowhere land….. they calm the situation down and pass the ball at the back and bring it to the front
C’mon mate, get some opinions of your own! Our ‘organised’ style seemed to do pretty well in the league last year – how many points did we finish above you again? And how many goals did we score? Arsenal are fantastic to watch at times, granted, but just because Pool are organised doesn’t mean we don’t play some blinding footy. Last 25 minutes against Bolton were a joy to watch (er, apart from the bum-clenching occasions when the ball was lumped into our pen area.)
Spot on mate, you couldn’t be more right. God help us if Torres or Gerrard get injured this season. Lets be honest about it we’d be f**ked. I have no confidence in Babel and Voronin is a pile of shite. Ngog simply hasn’t got the experience and Kuyt just is not a prolific goal scorer.
Irish Red. God help United if Rooney and Vidic are injured this season. God help Chelsea if it’s Drogba and Lampard. God help Arsenal if it’s Fabregas and Van Persie. God help Spurs if Modric and Defoe etc. It’s all conjecture! The stats prove we are in no way as reliant on Stevie and Nando as the pundits constantly spout, but any team would miss players of their calibre. This isn’t Football Manager – for one we have NO MONEY. Secondly, which international class players are going to come just to sit on our bench. Everybody thought Crouch was crap (they were wrong) even he couldn’t stand not playing every week!
If United lose Rooney they would be crap as well.
You want more match winners? Torres and Gerrard aren’t enough? Maybe you should check out Madrid. They seem more your style. Forget match winners we need transition, distribution and how about some defending from set plays?
Well incase you didn’t notice one of our main players went to Madrid; and we definately needed something different against Villa.
What we needed against Villa was a bit more luck! We’d have won that game 9 times out of 10. Sometimes shit happens, get over it!
We still have the same team minus Alonso. Nothing else has changed. The players have to believe in themselves. Rafa has to believe in the players. The same amount of trust he has on Lucas should also be given to the likes of Babel.We already have the formation. Rafa just needs to tinker in the positions that we are lacking.Dont forget we actually had a good run in last season with the likes of these same players. We cant think about ‘new players’ coz we dont have the money!!! and if Liverpool fail this season , ITS NO FAULT OF RAFA! The bloody yanks are the true reason for our downfall.Rafa has actually made leaps and bounds in making Liverpool a better team.For me I would revert back to this formation for now till the injured players come back.
Torres–Babel (Ngog 1st choice-Voronin 2nd choice subs)
Riera–Gerrard–Masch–Kuyt(Yossi 1st choice-lucas 2nd choice subs)
Insua—Kygriakos—Carra—-Johnson(Skrtel to replace Carra and Carra moves to left back in place of insua)
Reina
YNWA!