: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:11 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote: Just shows, clubs are always saying this - and players - but a lot of the time things still happen. We apparently made a bid that was rejected, Lavezzi has spoken about his treatment from Napoli which he's apparently unhappy about. As I said, I don't know much about him but I'm not that keen on the idea. Not seen much of the lad but played twice for Argentina. http://www.sscnapoli.it/client/render_e.aspx?root=915&content=0

Robbie Rotten wrote: Just shows, clubs are always saying this - and players - but a lot of the time things still happen. We apparently made a bid that was rejected, Lavezzi has spoken about his treatment from Napoli which he's apparently unhappy about. As I said, I don't know much about him but I'm not that keen on the idea. Not seen much of the lad but played twice for Argentina. http://www.sscnapoli.it/client/render_e.aspx?root=915&content=0

: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:18 pm  

Catalancs wrote: Coupled with this http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/06/02/it-s-now-or-never-for-tevez-115875-21408051/ could be a disappointing week for Liverpool. and from Florentino Perez... "As a fan, I would say that Xabi is a great player. I think he is the best passer of the ball in Europe. "I would be happy [to have him], but I cannot talk about the player without having spoken first to Rafa Benitez, as he is the one who needs to know that we are interested in his player."

Catalancs wrote: Coupled with this http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/06/02/it-s-now-or-never-for-tevez-115875-21408051/ could be a disappointing week for Liverpool. and from Florentino Perez... "As a fan, I would say that Xabi is a great player. I think he is the best passer of the ball in Europe. "I would be happy [to have him], but I cannot talk about the player without having spoken first to Rafa Benitez, as he is the one who needs to know that we are interested in his player."

: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:23 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

and from Florentino Perez...

"As a fan, I would say that Xabi is a great player. I think he is the best passer of the ball in Europe.

"I would be happy [to have him], but I cannot talk about the player without having spoken first to Rafa Benitez, as he is the one who needs to know that we are interested in his player."

Could be a strange season for us. I'm worried we'll take a step back. If we sell Alonso, then who do we get to replace him at around £20m? There have been rumours of Javi Martinez, but making the step up from mid-table la liga side to premier league challengers could be massive, and maybe too big a step to make at once. We need to hit the ground running, I feel, selling Alonso will certainly stunt this.

I like Barry, but he Alonso's form this year has shown why so many didn't want him to see. Xabi isn't irreplaceable, but I can't see us signing a midfielder of similar quality for the price who's available.

I just think it's risky business if we're going to be selling one of our best players.

: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:25 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

Could be a strange season for us. I'm worried we'll take a step back. If we sell Alonso, then who do we get to replace him at around £20m? There have been rumours of Javi Martinez, but making the step up from mid-table la liga side to premier league challengers could be massive, and maybe too big a step to make at once. We need to hit the ground running, I feel, selling Alonso will certainly stunt this.

I like Barry, but he Alonso's form this year has shown why so many didn't want him to see. Xabi isn't irreplaceable, but I can't see us signing a midfielder of similar quality for the price who's available.

I just think it's risky business if we're going to be selling one of our best players.

Think Alonso would be a massive loss for Liverpool. Barry looks to be on his way to City and although Martinez is a great player I do think he tends to stand out in an (unfortunately ) average team.

: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:35 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Think Alonso would be a massive loss for Liverpool. Barry looks to be on his way to City and although Martinez is a great player I do think he tends to stand out in an (unfortunately ) average team.

Yeah, he will. Martinez is good, but like Llorente he isn't amazing, he just looks a lot better compared to the pretty average Athletic players.

I think he has massive potential, he's physically good, if he could develop a passing game like Xabi, he'd be a brilliant signing, but he's nowhere near Xabi yet, and if Martinez is his replacement, I think we'll struggle. One of the reasons we done better this year was due to us keeping our spine in tact. We rarely rotated the middle players when fit, Alonso has been a key part of that spine, selling him would be a massive loss.

I'm still hoping David Silva is our main target, despite the interest from Madrid.

: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:36 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

Yeah, he will. Martinez is good, but like Llorente he isn't amazing, he just looks a lot better compared to the pretty average Athletic players.

I think he has massive potential, he's physically good, if he could develop a passing game like Xabi, he'd be a brilliant signing, but he's nowhere near Xabi yet, and if Martinez is his replacement, I think we'll struggle. One of the reasons we done better this year was due to us keeping our spine in tact. We rarely rotated the middle players when fit, Alonso has been a key part of that spine, selling him would be a massive loss.

I'm still hoping David Silva is our main target, despite the interest from Madrid.

Think we'll see one maybe two really big name sigings at Anfield this summer.

: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:46 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Think we'll see one maybe two really big name sigings at Anfield this summer.

Hopefully they're in positions that need strengthening. So hopefully it's not a second striker and centre midfielder, but an attacking midfielder/winger, a right back and a back up striker.

: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:48 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote: Hopefully they're in positions that need strengthening. So hopefully it's not a second striker and centre midfielder, but an attacking midfielder/winger, a right back and a back up striker. Would a quality striker be happy sat on the bench? more bad news... http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/09/06/02/manual_122858.html

Robbie Rotten wrote: Hopefully they're in positions that need strengthening. So hopefully it's not a second striker and centre midfielder, but an attacking midfielder/winger, a right back and a back up striker. Would a quality striker be happy sat on the bench? more bad news... http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/09/06/02/manual_122858.html

: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:52 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Would a quality striker be happy sat on the bench?

I doubt it, certainly not the quality some of our fans seem to think we need. A £25-£30m Carlos Tevez is too dear, as is David Villa, and Aguero, all of these names a lot of our fans seem to think are what we need for some reason.

Strangely enough, I'd be quite happy to see somebody like Llorente of Athletic, he's a big fella like Crouch but more mobile. IMO that was our biggest mistake last summer; not replacing Crouch.

Somebody in the Llorente/Negredo mould, players who can lead the line but aren't going to cost £30m.

: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:55 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

I doubt it, certainly not the quality some of our fans seem to think we need. A £25-£30m Carlos Tevez is too dear, as is David Villa, and Aguero, all of these names a lot of our fans seem to think are what we need for some reason.

Strangely enough, I'd be quite happy to see somebody like Llorente of Athletic, he's a big fella like Crouch but more mobile. IMO that was our biggest mistake last summer; not replacing Crouch.

Somebody in the Llorente/Negredo mould, players who can lead the line but aren't going to cost £30m.

Seems that it will be Lavezzi reading all the reports, I posted a link back in January about you being linked with him, from what I read he is not a prolific striker but can be creative, not sure if it's what you need though?

I also reckon you will get Silva, I know Real are interested but I wonder if they will have bigger targets this season, I would imagine we will cost around £20m, think Utd looked at him last summer.