FAO Dumpstar, regarding Meireles

[WireRed]

I've yet to hear a convincing reason why Dalglish benched this guy in favour of Adam/Henderson, and I'd also say he's at a stage in his career and showed the sort of form in comparison that makes him more valuable than Gerrard until the latter proves his fitness and form once again.

Just doesn't make sense to me why Dalglish discarded him so easily for his other midfield signings and set the wheels in motion for his unhappiness and subsequent transfer request.

 

[Team Brian GB]

If you seriously think your manager is incapable of picking your best players in the position that gets the best out of them for your team then your problems go far deeper than Lampard's aging limbs.

All I am saying is that it would dramatically increase the pressure on Modric and Villas-Boas further if it meant Lampard's place in the team was under such a threat.

 

[B20]

I've yet to hear a convincing reason why Dalglish benched this guy in favour of Adam/Henderson, and I'd also say he's at a stage in his career and showed the sort of form in comparison that makes him more valuable than Gerrard until the latter proves his fitness and form once again.

Absolutely no way.

People are being conned by his golden patch of goals.

He was a good player for us, but he was simply nowhere near as influential as some people are making him out to be. He didn't work in a 4-4-2, he was perpetually anonymous on the wing. A plus was that his bottomlevel was high, you could always count on him contributing a minimum in a game and not looking out of place.

We sold a player who only really fitted into a 4-3-3 at a time when his value was at a premium due to age. The loss really is not so great as some people are thinking it is.

Aquilani is the one that got away, if we're looking critically at exits this summer.

 

[Wumminator]

Liverpool have spent a lot this summer no doubt. They've added a few good players.

But to let Cole, Meireles, Aquilani, Insua, Degen, El Zhar, Kyrigiakos, Jones, Poulsen, Ngog, Konchevsky and Pacheco is a lot of squad players to lose at once

Now they've bought in 7 players, and they aren't in Europe. But I wouldn't like to be there when injuries start hitting them. I can not for the life of me figure out why Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham even have let so many fringe players go. Sure they weren't adding a lot, and it's nice to get them off the wage bill, but if Arsenal had just kept Eboue and Denilson around they probably wouldn't have had such a shit team that got beat 8-2.

 

[Team Brian GB]

And regarding Lampard and Modric clashing, in a 433 system I don't think you can have two avertly attacking players in your midfield and have just one to be defensive, break up the play and to link up the team effectively. Especially not when you play fairly narrow as well and you need midfielders to come wide and cover full backs charging up the pitch.

Lampard I don't think can do that any more, at least not to the extent he could before whilst Modric would be around to think offensively.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Absolutely no way.

People are being conned by his golden patch of goals.

He was a good player for us, but he was simply nowhere near as influential as some people are making him out to be. He didn't work in a 4-4-2, he was perpetually anonymous on the wing. A plus was that his bottomlevel was high, you could always count on him contributing a minimum in a game and not looking out of place.

We sold a player who only really fitted into a 4-3-3 at a time when his value was at a premium due to age. The loss really is not so great as some people are thinking it is.

Aquilani is the one that got away, if we're looking critically at exits this summer.

How do you come to that conclusion? Meireles, by your own admission, was a good player for Liverpool. Aquilani has never been.

 

[B20]

But to let Cole, Meireles, Aquilani, Insua, Degen, El Zhar, Kyrigiakos, Jones, Poulsen, Ngog, Konchevsky and Pacheco is a lot of squad players to lose at once

The exits have been one of the best things about this window. Huge amount of deadwood in the squad that's been cleared now.

 

[Hellboy]

Modric is not as attacking as Lampard, he's more like Mereiles, more defensive, in the sense that he can play behind him in a three man midfield.

 

[WireRed]

Absolutely no way.

People are being conned by his golden patch of goals.

He was a good player for us, but he was simply nowhere near as influential as some people are making him out to be. He didn't work in a 4-4-2, he was perpetually anonymous on the wing. A plus was that his bottomlevel was high, you could always count on him contributing a minimum in a game and not looking out of place.

We sold a player who only really fitted into a 4-3-3 at a time when his value was at a premium due to age. The loss really is not so great as some people are thinking it is.

Aquilani is the one that got away, if we're looking critically at exits this summer.

He was anonymous on the wing because he isn't a wide player. Simple as that.

When Dalglish gave him a run in the middle, he delivered. Whilst Gerrard spent the final months of the season on the treatment table after a very poor two seasons may I add, Meireles delivered.

When it comes to last season and who had the greater influence on LFC's return to form, it was Meireles, not Gerrard.

You've sold a PL proven player who will only get better the more he acclimatises, and you've sold him for naff all more than you paid for him which is ridiculous considering he was one of Liverpool's best performers last season along with Lucas and Suarez.

Aquilani has done very little to back up that sort of statement tbh and he certainly has made nowhere near the impact Meireles made, even if you've decided it was one little golden spell, during his time at Liverpool or since.

 

[Brwned]

Meireles just seems like a slightly more creative version of Ramires.

Agree with this, I don't understand Meireles' reputation on here to be honest. He's looked a good player and nothing more, a slightly better version of Tiago. In Modric they were getting a great playmaker, instead they got a good pass-and-move player. I think they were going for both players and Meireles was just intended as a squad player, but now that they missed out on Modric he's being mistakenly seen as a substitute (and bizarrely, a pretty decent one in the case of TGB).

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

Wasn't Pacheco supposed to be superb?

 

[Hectic]

I am saying if we bought Modric we would have to pretty much hand him the advanced role as his own, Villas-Boas wanting a more attacking and technical game, trying to spur Torres on would find it very difficult not to play a £40 Million player in that role as much as possible.

Such pressures don't come with Meireles.

That's a nice positive, but an even nicer one would have been Modric, who is a much better player. It's better then you getting noone, but clearly Modric would have been a much better signing all round.

 

[B20]

How do you come to that conclusion? Meireles, by your own admission, was a good player for Liverpool. Aquilani has never been.

Aquilani is less certain. What Meireles has on him is a higher bottom level. Aquilani is by far the more talented player though. When he has a good day, he wins games for the team/makes the team win games. When Raul has a good day, he is a good cog in the machine, but won't do much to turn things around if the rest of the team isn't gelling.

In the small peppering of competitive appearances Aquilani made for us, he had some godawful ones, but he also had some convincing MoM performances and a high number of assists to show for it. He looks to be recovered from his injury problems as well.

He could go either way, but at the price we look like letting him go for, I'd say we would have been better off gambling on him coming good (which, considering his pre-season, would have been a good shot). If he did, he would have been a first-teamer strengthening the side, Raul would not. He is a cog, not a star.

But of course, that is all predicated on Aquilani actually wanting to be here. By all accounts, he was desperate to go back home and apparently took a sizeable cut in wages to make it happen.

 

[Wumminator]

The exits have been one of the best things about this window. Huge amount of deadwood in the squad that's been cleared now.

Oh most definitely, in the long term it's good they're gone. But the likes of Cole, Aquilani and Meireles are all decent players, and even the Greek centre back and Ngog are worth keeping around IMO.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

Bleh, letting Meireles go means neither this nor that. Meireles, Adam, Henderson, same kind of level of players.

What is amusing though, is Liverpool's constant revolving door policy in terms of players. Loads of players in and loads of players out every year.

Continuity is not a word they know in the red half of Liverpool.

 

[B20]

Oh most definitely, in the long term it's good they're gone. But the likes of Cole, Aquilani and Meireles are all decent players, and even the Greek centre back and Ngog are worth keeping around IMO.

meireless and Aquilani might have offered something to the squad if they had been retained.

Cole, N'gog and Kyrkiagos won't be missed in any shape or form. Not with the players we signed to replace them.

 

[Brwned]

Bleh, letting Meireles go means neither this nor that. Meireles, Adam, Henderson, same kind of level of players.

What is amusing though, is Liverpool's constant revolving door policy in terms of players. Loads of players in and loads of players out every year.

Continuity is not a word they know in the red half of Liverpool.

Same with Spurs fans, the things they were seemingly most looking forward to this summer was getting rid of a load of 'deadwood', and then bringing in some other players...whether they were actually upgrades or not was secondary. Very funny and very strange.

 

[Team Brian GB]

Agree with this, I don't understand Meireles' reputation on here to be honest. He's looked a good player and nothing more, a slightly better version of Tiago. In Modric they were getting a great playmaker, instead they got a good pass-and-move player. I think they were going for both players and Meireles was just intended as a squad player, but now that they missed out on Modric he's being mistakenly seen as a substitute (and bizarrely, a pretty decent one in the case of TGB).

I don't think he is a substitute for signing Modric, Chelsea needed extra bodies in the midfield and a playmaker as well. Prior to yesterday we only had Ramires currently fit and available as an all-round midfielder following whom we have Lampard, Mikel, McEachran and Romeu coming in.

Of those five midfielders only Ramires has the versatility, fitness and experience that will be required if we want to make a serious push at home and abroad. Bringing in Meireles therefore is an excellent purchase for us who adds more technical ability as well.

 

[B20]

Bleh, letting Meireles go means neither this nor that. Meireles, Adam, Henderson, same kind of level of players.

Not entirely wrong. How they fit into the manager's ideas is probably the deciding difference right now.

What is amusing though, is Liverpool's constant revolving door policy in terms of players. Loads of players in and loads of players out every year.

Continuity is not a word they know in the red half of Liverpool.

I think the players signed this season have been with a view to do away with this. A focus on a British core to establish a defined dressing room culture that will last for more than a season or two.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

Same with Spurs fans, the things they were seemingly most looking forward to this summer was getting rid of a load of 'deadwood', and then bringing in some other players...whether they were actually upgrades or not was secondary. Very funny and very strange.

Transfer muppets. We have them aong ourselves as well.

I honestly think some people prefer the excitement of potential transfers to the excitement of United games.

 

[antihenry]

That's a nice positive, but an even nicer one would have been Modric, who is a much better player. It's better then you getting noone, but clearly Modric would have been a much better signing all round.

I don't think Meireles is viewed by AVB as a Modric type of a player.

I think Lampard's current struggles and Essien's long term injury prompted him to look for someone who can contribute both on attacking and defensive departments in midfield. Meireles fit that profile.

 

[B20]

Whilst Gerrard spent the final months of the season on the treatment table after a very poor two seasons may I add

Gerrard was not poor last season. He was injured.

I'll grant you that he was poor the season before, but people are making the wrong conclusions in connecting a poor season two seasons ago with an injury-plagued season last season and concluding he has been poor for two seasons now.

 

[B20]

I don't think Meireles is viewed by AVB as a Modric type of a player.

I think Lampard's current struggles and Essien's long term injury prompted him to look for someone who can contribute both on attacking and defensive departments in midfield. Meireles fit that profile.

Prepare to be surprised.

He runs a lot both in defence and offence, I'll give him that.

 

[Red-Indian]

For me, Liverpool have sold their second and third best central mids this window. Gerrard is obviously their best but given his injury proneness, they needed Meireles. Adam is not the best in a 2 man midfield. He's immobile and doesn't contribute a lot defensively.

Assuming Gerrard and Lucas are their first choice midfield, they lack a real game changer there.

For Chelsea, Meireles is a great stand in for Lampard or Ramires. He's not first choice but nice to have as an option.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

Not entirely wrong. How they fit into the manager's ideas is probably the deciding difference right now.

I think the players signed this season have been with a view to do away with this. A focus on a British core to establish a defined dressing room culture that will last for more than a season or two.

Well, I am guessing most of the players you've signed the last decade have been with a longer term view than what has actually happened.

I expect Liverpool to be one of the most active clubs in the transfer market yet again next summer.

Would you be surprised if players like Henderson and Carroll are sold in a couple of years, not to mention the likes of Skrtel, Bellamy, Aurelio, Maxi etc?

 

[Team Brian GB]

Gerrard was not poor last season. He was injured.

I'll grant you that he was poor the season before, but people are making the wrong conclusions in connecting a poor season two seasons ago with an injury-plagued season last season and concluding he has been poor for two seasons now.

When are we expecting Gerrard to be back and hear Martin Tyler scream "Steven GERRRRRRARRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDD!!!... Out for a throw in"?

 

[WireRed]

Gerrard was not poor last season. He was injured.

I'll grant you that he was poor the season before, but people are making the wrong conclusions in connecting a poor season two seasons ago with an injury-plagued season last season and concluding he has been poor for two seasons now.

He was dire in 2009-10 which you've admitted, bordering on disinterested in all fairness.

He did spend the vast majority of last season injured(which is the point I'm making)but when fit during most of Hodgson's reign, he was not much better than 2009-10 and was outshone by many a Liverpool player including Meireles once Dalglish took charge until his season ended in about March.

 

[B20]

He was dire in 2009-10 which you've admitted, bordering on disinterested in all fairness.

He did spend the vast majority of last season injured(which is the point I'm making)but when fit during most of Hodgson's reign, he was not much better than 2009-10 and was outshone by many a Liverpool player including Meireles once Dalglish took charge until his season ended in about March.

That's not true. Gerrard was just about the only outfield player who can hold his head up high and say he played for the manager when Hodgson was here.

If he had continued his form last season for the full season without injury he would have yet again have been our player of the season with ease.

 

[B20]

I expect Liverpool to be one of the most active clubs in the transfer market yet again next summer.

So do I, but that is not to say it goes against this though. Imo, you have to look at it from when Comolli came in. Neither he nor Kenny are not accountable for how Rafa or Hodgson planned transfers, nor the current owners for the previous' owners financial strategy.

Would you be surprised if players like Henderson and Carroll are sold in a couple of years, not to mention the likes of Skrtel, Bellamy, Aurelio, Maxi etc?

I would be surprised if the likes of Reina, Agger, Kelly, Agger, Johnson, Enrique, Coates, Lucas, Adam, Henderson, Downing, Gerrard, Suarez and Carroll were sold on. That's the core we'll be building around and looking to improve on.

Maxi, Aurelio, Bellamy are all getting on a bit in years and are fringe players (I think Bellamy will be a good asset and I am very pleased with his signing, but he signed for two years and that is how long I reckon he will stay. Not all stop gaps are bad). And Skretl may find himself displeased with being 4th choice if he can not force himself ahead of Carragher in the meantime.

I don't think those players leaving over the course of the next two seasons signifies a revolving door as much as it does the natural progression of the squad.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I think the players signed this season have been with a view to do away with this. A focus on a British core to establish a defined dressing room culture that will last for more than a season or two.

That's the first and only time the addition of Craig fecking Bellamy to a squad will be considered as part of a masterplan to to "establish a defined dressing room culture"

Unless you're typing on an iphone and it auto-corrected the word "cancer"?

 

[B20]

That's the first and only time the addition of Craig fecking Bellamy to a squad will be considered as part of a masterplan to to "establish a defined dressing room culture"

Unless you're typing on an iphone and it auto-corrected the word "cancer"?

Bellamy hit Riise with a golf club last time he was here. He is great for squad morale.

 

[WireRed]

That's not true. Gerrard was just about the only outfield player who can hold his head up high and say he played for the manager when Hodgson was here.

If he had continued his form last season for the full season without injury he would have yet again have been our player of the season with ease.

He was still poor though, nowhere near the standards he's set in the past. Until he can get fit for a reasonable period of time and reaches those levels again, he can't be considered the world-class talent he's been in the past because it's been too long since he last showed it and he shouldn't automatically be placed above players who outperformed him in the last two years, Meireles being one of them.

 

[Stick]

Well, I am guessing most of the players you've signed the last decade have been with a longer term view than what has actually happened.

I expect Liverpool to be one of the most active clubs in the transfer market yet again next summer.

Would you be surprised if players like Henderson and Carroll are sold in a couple of years, not to mention the likes of Skrtel, Bellamy, Aurelio, Maxi etc?

Isnt Maxi already gone?

 

[Stick]

Bleh, letting Meireles go means neither this nor that. Meireles, Adam, Henderson, same kind of level of players.

What is amusing though, is Liverpool's constant revolving door policy in terms of players. Loads of players in and loads of players out every year.

Continuity is not a word they know in the red half of Liverpool.

I'd agree that Meireles, Adam and Henderson are the same level of player but Meireles was looking for much more money than the other two are on if reports are to be believed. He handed in the request to move and it's probably a good move for both parties if he wasnt happy.

 

[B20]

He was still poor though, nowhere near the standards he's set in the past.

He was having decent and good games, of high bottomlevel performance, surrounded by uninspired dross with dull ineffective tactics that saw us have less of the ball than our bottomleague opponents. He still threw in some handy "feck it, I'll just have to win this game on my own" performances that not many players in the league are capable of.

Hodgson would have been sacked sooner if not for Gerrard.

 

[B20]

Isnt Maxi already gone?

No.

 

[Stick]

No.

I thought he had a move all but sewn up at the start of the summer. Must've fell through. I'm surprised nobody went in for him because he had a great run the end of last year and isnt a bad footballer.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

I would be surprised if the likes of Reina, Agger, Kelly, Agger, Johnson, Enrique, Coates, Lucas, Adam, Henderson, Downing, Gerrard, Suarez and Carroll were sold on.

If all of them are at Anfield come 1st September 2013, I'd be extremely surprised.

6 months ago, you lot would have had Meireles named among them. Not surprisingly, moved on.

A year ago, you lot would have had Cole on that list. Moved on.

Reina and Suarez might be snapped up by bigger and better clubs.

Agger and Johnson are sick notes.

Lucas, Adam, Henderson, Downing and Caroll are average players, who might be sold on to finance another set of player in search of improvement, or might want to move on in search of more playing time.

Coats is a total unknown, and might as easily be shipped out on loan to Rayo Vallecano in 12 months time, as being a regular fixture in your team.

 

[rocks13]

I thought he had a move all but sewn up at the start of the summer. Must've fell through. I'm surprised nobody went in for him because he had a great run the end of last year and isnt a bad footballer.

Maybe that's why Liverpool wanted to keep him.

 

[africanspur]

Same with Spurs fans, the things they were seemingly most looking forward to this summer was getting rid of a load of 'deadwood', and then bringing in some other players...whether they were actually upgrades or not was secondary. Very funny and very strange.

That's not what we were looking forward to at all.

And we had 25 senior players in the squad last season and about 3 or 4 out on loan who would also fit into that category. Then we have Bale and Sandro being too old now to fit into the u21 category and Walker back from loan.

Had we not sold some deadwood, we would have been left with around 30 first team squad members and only able to accomodate 25 of them by the league rules. Not sure how its strange that we need to move players on that we never play anyway and by league rules, we actually wouldn't be allowed to play.