Liverpool F.c.

[StevieH]

Got it, cheers. Thai co-commentators are infinitely more interesting than English ones.

[wilai]

^ Agree....you can have Beglin and co on Ch8 if you click the green audio button....if you want! I may go back to Thai 2nd half.

[StevieH]

Fortunate to be in front here. Bournemouth are playing well, fair dos to them, and it was always going to be a scrap. But we could do without a battle ahead of Tuesday.

[wilai]

Could be a load of b***ox this, but Salah has apparently turned down Chelski. LFC have till Monday to submit an improved offer. Allegedly, Salah will waive his signing on fee to help the move go thru! Believe that when I see it but, given how quickly the rent boys moved in to start with, strange how things have subsequently slowed down?

As to the cup game, other than the 1st half hour, I thought we played well within ourselves, so hopefully didn't use up too much before Tuesday. Injuries are a concern, but the trickies have their share as well. Hope Stevenage put in the same effort as Bournemouth!

[mad mary]

^What's going on with the racist allegations? I'm not sure we need anymore such <deleted> at our doorstep...Suarez is the Grand Wizard & he'd be hard fought to give it up IMNSHO!!

[wilai]

^^ The story is coming out of Boston, from a guy who got the Reina, Cissokho and Sakho deals correct in the Summer. Also advised in advance that we would not get Eriksen, Lamela or Soldado as we were not prepared to pay what was being asked. In the end, the figures he quoted were pretty much in line with what the spuds paid. Maybe Levy is one of his followers

He reckons FSG are meeting Sunday to decide on whether to pursue. Watch this space!

[wilai]

^What's going on with the racist allegations? I'm not sure we need anymore such <deleted> at our doorstep...Suarez is the Grand Wizard & he'd be hard fought to give it up IMNSHO!!

He refused to shake hands with Maccabi players apparently...instead he (and they) knocked fists as a friendly gesture. He was worried about offending more radical egyptian fans...quite understandable when you see what has gone on at matches over there!

However, as Abramovic and his 1st lieut are of jewish descent (afaik), seems a strange deal for Chelski to get involved with in the 1st place. That may be a reason why things have slowed down?

[longstebe]

Happy with the win and all that but if we play the same team on Tuesday we'll get battered.

I say.......Gary macca gary gary macca gary macca gary gary macca, this is what type of player we need to get us through the rest of season. Gerrard can NOT play DM.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[wilai]

Could be a load of b***ox this, but Salah has apparently turned down Chelski. LFC have till Monday to submit an improved offer. Allegedly, Salah will waive his signing on fee to help the move go thru! Believe that when I see it but, given how quickly the rent boys moved in to start with, strange how things have subsequently slowed down?

LFC have refused to increase the offer for Salah. Embarrassing that we are getting into the habit of underbidding. Personally, I wouldn't have thought his position was a priority. Still, we have signed those promising midfielders, Dunkin Donuts and Vauxhall this week.

Next up, another "superstar" to be announced on Monday. The clue was in those silly warm up shirts yesterday....oneguardiansaid!!!! Looks like Garuda Indonesia...that third world airline, will be upping their stake. Yep, the boys that drive 747's directly into the arrival lounge....so fair play to Ayre...you prat!!!!

Gooners away next round by the way!

Wenger is reaching for his chequebook as I type....LFC, Manure, LFC, Bayern on the bounce!!!!

Edited January 26, 2014 by wilai

[wilai]

Ian Ayre after a shopping expedition....."Went to a shop to buy my favourite band's new album, but it was £14, so I bought three albums I'm never going to listen to for £21 instead."

[Jimjim]

Well that's an unkind 5th round draw.

Lots of doom and gloom from Liverpool fans on that story on the official site.

We really barely ever win away to Arsenal so I can see why....

[Chicog]

As I posted earlier, Arsenal have Liverpool (A), Man Utd (H), Liverpool FAC (H) and Bayern Munich.

If there is any game in which Wenger is going to rest players, it will be the cup tie.

[carmine]

As I posted earlier, Arsenal have Liverpool (A), Man Utd (H), Liverpool FAC (H) and Bayern Munich.

If there is any game in which Wenger is going to rest players, it will be the cup tie.

The pragmatic decision would probably be to not bother turning up for the Bayern game

[Chicog]

As I posted earlier, Arsenal have Liverpool (A), Man Utd (H), Liverpool FAC (H) and Bayern Munich.

If there is any game in which Wenger is going to rest players, it will be the cup tie.

The pragmatic decision would probably be to not bother turning up for the Bayern game

Ye of little faith. The only reason we lost last time was poor defending at home.

We seem to have sorted it - we have the best defensive record in the premier league (and that's after shipping 6 goals at the Harem!).

No reason to fear Bayern as far as I'm concerned.

[StevieH]

looking like sakho and allen are both still out for the derby tomorrow night. <deleted> hellfire. we'll be struggling to get an XI out here.

[Devil]

looking like sakho and allen are both still out for the derby tomorrow night. fuc_king hellfire. we'll be struggling to get an XI out here.

Not looking good this.

I am bemused as to how or we don't seem to be able to bring any players in.

[wilai]

Don't forget to say prayers tonight before you go to bed lads

Ian Ayre's job is on the line. FSG losing patience. Hogan considered brighter, more able and ready to take over as MD.

[StevieH]

Don't forget to say prayers tonight before you go to bed lads

Ian Ayre's job is on the line. FSG losing patience. Hogan considered brighter, more able and ready to take over as MD.

Where d'you hear that mate? Ayre's doing a grand job bringing in partnerships like the great Dunkin' Donuts gig which is maybe their MO?

[wilai]

^ Twatter Stevie. Hence the prayers comment We live in hope. The sooner Ayres sticks to what he is good at the better! More news imminent regarding f*@kin Garuda. I don't thing IA has quite grasped the concept of the "Transfer Window" yet.

In other news....£93 a ticket for the Arsenal cup game. Will be in the UK then and can normally get Emirates tickets but @ more than £1 per minute??? Might pay that to spend time with Shakira, but Aly Cissokho? Nah

[wilai]

Excellent blog from Tony Barrett (Times) even if it is spelling out what we already know!

Luis Suárez’s birthday didn’t get off to the best possible start. The first day of his 28th year began on Friday with the kind of disappointing news he has become increasingly used to as Liverpool missed out on Mohamed Salah (pictured), the fourth major signing to slip through their fingers since last summer.

Like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Willian and Diego Costa, Salah was scouted, discussed extensively by Liverpool’s transfer committee, targeted, pursued and then signed by someone else (albeit in the case of Costa, he signed for Atletico Madrid, the club he was already with). That recurring theme has inevitably raised questions about Liverpool’s transfer strategy as they struggle to attract players who, if not of Suarez’s standard, would certainly offer the striker the best chance of fulfilling his Champions League dream.

The reality for Liverpool is that, regardless of the new contract he signed before Christmas, if they can’t offer Suárez the elite platform that he craves and deserves then someone else will. There is even an argument that when the wondrous season the Uruguayan is enjoying comes to an end in May, John W. Henry should thank Suárez for his superhuman efforts and personally drive him to his destination of choice if Liverpool have once again fallen short.

Aside from the nonsense about being plagued by paparazzi and feeling unable to remain in the Premier League because he felt hounded, Suárez had another, much more compelling and reasonable reason for agitating for a move away from Liverpool last summer. As he confided to friends, one of his greatest concerns was that Liverpool did not have the necessary quality and strength in depth to challenge for a place in the top four.

A combination of his own extraordinary form, the attacking playing style that has been implemented by Brendan Rodgers and the shortcomings of others, most notably Manchester United, means that Liverpool do have an opportunity to achieve that objective. In the eyes of the bookmakers, they are favourites to finish fourth ahead of United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton. With arguably the most favourable remaining fixtures of all of the competitors for that crucially important spot they are entitled to fancy their chances.

That Liverpool are so well placed is remarkable considering that of the eight players they did manage to sign last summer, only three — Simon Mignolet, Kolo Touré and Mamadou Sakho — have made any kind of impact on their first team so far this season. Four of the remaining five — Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto, Victor Moses and Tiago Ilori (the latter now on loan to Granada) — have started eleven Premier League games between them. Injuries to others, meanwhile, mean that Aly Cissokho, signed as cover according to Rodgers, is in the side by default rather than design.

If Rodgers’s team selections can be taken as a guide to his own feelings, the Liverpool manager sees only Mignolet and Sakho as first team regulars. Hence the reason why on two occasions this season, Rodgers has publicly admitted that after “improving the squad” Liverpool now need to “improve the team.” It is also why he has reverted to using press conferences to reveal how short he is on numbers.

“Our squad is very thin at the moment, we’ve got 17 players,” Rodgers said before Liverpool played Chelsea in late December. “We only have 15 players that have been training and we will call on some of the younger players to come into the squad,” he said prior to their FA Cup tie away to Bournemouth at the weekend. The squad is “thin” he said again afterwards. Given that earlier this month, during a mounting injury crisis, Rodgers stated that “if we can keep everyone fit we have a great chance [of finishing in the top four]” there is no need to read between the lines: he is making it clear that Liverpool could fall short of their target due to the lack of quality and depth that Suárez feared.

Largely as a result of frustration, Rodgers was more outspoken after missing out on Willian last August, saying that while he understood “the climate of where the club is at, we need to push on to get the best players we possibly can if we’re going to have any chance of progressing.” He then added: “If you’re going to climb the league, you have to have quality. There are still a number of days left in the window and we will do everything we possibly can to get the players in.”

In those remaining days, Liverpool added Sakho (currently out injured), Moses (out of favour regardless of his goal at Bournemouth) and Ilori (out on loan).

Earlier in the season, before the wear and tear of the campaign began to take its toll and Suárez was taking opponents apart almost single-handedly, the relative weakness of Liverpool’s squad did not reveal itself apart from the odd occasion when injuries restricted Rodgers’ options. But no sooner did the frequency of games and quality of opposition pick up and their shortcomings have become increasingly apparent.

Brad Smith, a teenager of rich promise but still finding his way in the first team scene, came on as substitute at Chelsea; Touré and Cissokho, brought in as cover, have struggled when injuries to others resulted in them having to play more regularly; Alberto and Moses were dragged off at half-time against Oldham Athletic; and now an injury to Lucas has left a Dunkin’ Donuts sized hole in Liverpool’s midfield that will not be filled until the Brazilian returns in about five weeks’ time.

If there is consolation to missing out on Salah it is that it provides Liverpool an opportunity to reassess their priorities and determine whether or not their January transfer budget could be used to strengthen those areas of the team that need it most. The two full back positions and central midfield required bolstering even before Lucas and Glen Johnson went lame and they now have less than a week to make the moves that could define their season.

Liverpool could always stick with what they have in the knowledge that it has taken them this far and in the hope that it will continue to be sufficient. Positioned in fourth place with 16 games remaining and having established themselves as the division’s second highest scorers behind Manchester City, there is much to admire about the way Liverpool have gone about their football so far. There is also an argument that having ascended into fourth place, the current group of players deserves the opportunity to try and remain there.

There are also warning signs, though — weaknesses in the squad that are yet to be addressed and a reliance on the brilliance of Suárez continuing for the duration of the campaign. Everton, Tottenham and a Manchester United side reinforced by the mercurial Juan Mata will all look to take advantage of any slips should Liverpool falter. There are no guarantees that Liverpool will finish fourth even if they do make signings this month but the feeling that Suárez and Rodgers held last summer that further recruitment was necessary is growing at the same time that the opportunity for it is starting to diminish.

Whether or not they make moves, the bottom line for Liverpool is that should they fall short in the race for fourth because of a lack of quality they can have no complaints if Suárez ends up celebrating his next birthday at a club that can give him the gift of Champions League football.

[wilai]

Liverpool FC announce Garuda Indonesia as first training kit partner: unfortunately, they cannot play DM."

Good old AYRES....Sorting out January priorities as usual!

[mrbojangles]

I'm sure I heard today that Liverpool are getting Vauxhall in as a sponsor.

[wilai]

BR just held press conference. Sakho defo out for at least another two weeks. Also stated no imminent transfers but it looks like something will hit the press at 5.30am Thai time. Christ knows what though!!!! The Nationals have been told not to publish or leak info until 22.30 UK time.

[Chicog]

Suarez to PSG/Madrid?

[BangrakBob]

The missus completed the transfer of my first daughter in to the Red Army late Saturday. Looking forward to our first match in front of the tele tomorrow night.

From what I read on here, it looks like I've done infinitely better than IA and the "transfer committee" in the last fews days. Beggars belief that the summer of embarrassment is being rerun as the winter of discontent in the most critical window we've been involved in for 5 years.

[SantiSuk]

Sympathies. Our guy may be throwing away a League title this month, but your guys appear to be throwing away another 10 years.

[alfieconn]

BR just held press conference. Sakho defo out for at least another two weeks. Also stated no imminent transfers but it looks like something will hit the press at 5.30am Thai time. Christ knows what though!!!! The Nationals have been told not to publish or leak info until 22.30 UK time.

What was it then wils ? the tea lady was changing the brand of tea she uses

[Chicog]

Something about a link up with Garuda I assume.

[StevieH]

Something about a link up with Garuda I assume.

another magnificent commercial deal. we haven't signed cover for lucas, johnson or enrique this transfer window but we're boss off for donuts and indonesian air tickets.

[wilai]

BR just held press conference. Sakho defo out for at least another two weeks. Also stated no imminent transfers but it looks like something will hit the press at 5.30am Thai time. Christ knows what though!!!! The Nationals have been told not to publish or leak info until 22.30 UK time.

What was it then wils ? the tea lady was changing the brand of tea she uses

Can't tell you. Newspaper stories are tedious, boring and have no place on these threads!...Nothing like a bit of evening fishing. Shame I only caught a tiddler