Liverpool FC. A Good Summer ?

Obviously, as last season finished and we moved into the summer, I, like just about every other Liverpool supporter was down, a poor season had ended in a disastrous run of results culminating in in the humiliating, slaughtering we received at the hands of Stoke City.  I found myself wanting a scapegoat and it was the manager that I was looking at, especially as it looked like Klopp may have been available to us.  But as the summer has worn on I have come back round to supporting the manager and thinking that the owners have done the correct thing in putting their faith in him.  We got our scapegoats when Marsh and Pascoe didn't have contracts renewed and we settled down to a few weeks of nothing from the club everything went quiet, not a dicky bird. Perhaps another good decision, no controversy,moving the supporters a chance to breath, calm down and everybody get their heads in a better place.  It worked for me by now I was ready to give our manager another chance.

New coaches were eventually announced over the summer with Sean O'Driscoll appointed as Assistant Manager, Pepijn Lijnders promoted to First Team Development Coach and Gary McAllister appointed as First Team Coach, not the big name appointments or ex players many wanted but for me decent enough and the people that the manager wanted so if we are backing him we may as well fully back him so we will see but at have every confidence that they will at least move us forward.

As the new signings started to come through early on in the window initially I was a little underwhelmed Ings, Bogdan and Milner were not the exciting signings I had been dreaming about but on thinking about they all appear to be an improvement and made our squad stronger not exciting but functional.  Joe Gomez was signed shortly afterwards from Charlton again at the time I didn't really know who he was so great a young player that we thought was good but ho hum another run of the mill signing.  Then the news. broke we were getting Firmino, now this was the signing I wanted, a marquee signing at least and I player I had watched and like very exciting and on top of that it appeared to be winding up other clubs supporters that we had got him, Twitter was full of happy reds for a change.  Clyne followed shortly afterwards another big name signing who other clubs reportedly wanted and a player who I believe is absolute quality, it finally looks like Liverpool have got their act together in the transfer market, business don early and getting our targets rather than loosing out to our rivals.  The Benteke deal had been rumbling on all summer with rumours about just about every striker in Europe going on but I think we all knew it was always going to be Benteke.  Many argue that we have paid to much, some that he won't fit our style, some that he simply isn't good enough. I disagree, I think he is a quality player who will fit our style of play and who will score goals he did cost a lot but to be honest I don't care, I don't look at the price I only care that we have another quality player.  Liverpool have also signed to or three quality youngsters who I know nothing about other than what I have read but I am pleased that we are looking worldwide to develop our academy teams I think it can only help, the more quality at the club, regardless of age, the better.

Our tour, not sure what to think, we travelled to far to be good for the players, we made millions of pounds and that can only be good, we played weaker teams don't know if that's good or bad, not much of a challenge but do we really want to be challenged pre-season and wins bring confidence no matter who you are playing.  Anyway I'm not going to go through game by game but I will go through the things that have stuck in my mind or that I will take away from the tour. Firstly, our fans worldwide are superb I love watching  full grounds belting out You'll Never Walk Alone thousands of miles from Liverpool and the players must love it as well.  Playing wise Milner is going to be a huge player this year, far from the run of the mill signing i though he was earlier in the summer, Gomez has looked like a star very time I have seen him early I know but he could be a player.  Our manager seems to still prefer Lovren to Sakho and if this is the case I believe it will be a huge mistake we will have to wait and see. Ings runs lots, hope he can score lots to.  Been a little disappointed in Clyne but I am still certain he will do very well for us and just recently Firmino looked good, I think we all knew he would and Benteke started well a few more like that and everybody will be happy.  We have some very talented youngsters Chirivella, Rossiter, aren't and Ojo joining Gomez in impressing hugely.

My thoughts are that we have had a very good summer, lots of change but all positive, you are never sure until the season starts and we certainly have a tough start but there couldn't be a better way of putting last year behind us than a win at Stoke.

Big Ben.

Is Benteke the man for the job, 32 million pounds would suggest our manager and owners believe he is.  Nobody can say the manager didn't get the backing of the owners, Benteke was his man and they got him he cost plenty but the owners backed the manager and got him the man he wanted.

                         

    

Many will argue that he cost to much for me the cost is irrelevant, the owners are the people that worry about money not the supporters or manager I only worry about the team and the players the manager brings in and in this case I think we have a good player who will benefit the team.  The stats show that Benteke scores goals over the last three years only Suarez, Van Persie and and Aguero scoring more and Rooney less, put an average value on these players and I think it will show that he is a bargain.  Lukaku is a similar player representing the same international team with a far worse statistical record and moved last year (before the new TV deal money) for a similar wage again suggesting we have a good deal.  I agree that there are foreign players who may be available for less money but there are also arguments against them, the biggest name players will not sign for us, we are not in that league, yet, not able to attract the big names and I would also argue that players in this league would cost more than Benteke.  There are exciting players available in the next group down.  I can feel people screaming Lacazette at me, there have been plenty rumours that he is available for a little less than thirty million and I must admit is the signing i wanted but again I feel that we will struggle to attract him from a club who have made the champions league and also when everybody in the world has been linked with him.  Having said that i have to admit that I hadn't heard of him 18 months ago and without any great knowledge feel he like many players he would be a risk have I fallen into the trap of mistaking foreign and good,  There is a lot say for proven premier league and Benteke is that.

Many are worried that Liverpool have just bought a target man and this will result in is changing styles to just booting the ball up to him and that Benteke can only play in this style.  It's true that he is a big man, he is good in the air and certainly has plenty of physicality but that's not it, he has everything else as well, he has pace, he has technical ability and he can score, all types of goals from all areas, he can play in several formations but importantly I don't think we will change anything he does have the strength and ability to hold the ball up that we need but he also has the technical ability to join in with a move and the pace, power and finishing ability to get in the end of moves, in our team I believe he has the ability to become an all round striker to be feared after all he has achieved everything so far in a struggling Villa team.

Can he fit in with the flair players we already have? Coutinho and Firmino are going to be important and once Sturridge returns we have an array of attacking players can Benteke fit in?  In my opinion without a doubt he can with these for players fit and firing not many will be able to stop us different styles of player yes but in my opinion compatible.

In my opinion a good buy, not without risk but every chance of becoming a vital player for us over the coming years and I certainly believe that he has goals in him and goals win games.

@lfclumo   

Summer Signings

First of all I need to state that I am normally optimistic, I usually like signings and find it hard to find fault in what we do, last year for example I was happy with the business we had done by the time the season had started, over the season I was proven wrong with Lambert, Balotelli and Lovren failing to produce throughout the season and Markovic, Manquillo and Moreno,  failing in many fans eyes.  Despite this I'm still going to put on record my thoughts about this summers signings.

Once again I'm optimistic and like the signings, I feel that we have bought several players who can and will go straight in to the first eleven and that everybody is an improvement on last season.

Firstly the most controversial, Benteke, I like him, he seems to have the lot, pace, power, movement, physicality, finishing, technique, arial ability, proven Premier League record what more could we want.  Granted he is expensive and everybody is a risk but strikers are expensive no matter who you buy and I would argue that attackers with a comparable record go for similar money if not more, Lukaku would be a good example.  We as Liverpool fans often fall into the trap of wanting a foreign sounding name that we no little about rather than players we know are good and who can achieve.  There are other good strikers out there, possibly cheaper but we have a very good striker on our hands and that's what we were demanding at the start of the window.

Firmino, an excellent player and the marque signing that we have all been shouting for.  I'm very excited by Firmino several people were talking about him last summer and because of this I have watched him play and thought he was out of our reach and that he would be going to one of the big names for huge money, delighted that we got him and I am certain that he will be a huge success.

Ings a good young player he stands a chance, had a lot of work to do and needs to develop but in my opinion will be more effective than Borini, Lambert or for that matter Balotelli so an improvement in the squad so this makes me happy.

Clyne, again I have high hopes widely touted as the best right back in the country and he chose to sign for us over some of our competitors so that's good and a definite improvement over Johnson so yet again our squad gets stronger.  

Bogdan, not overly impressed I have to admit, we wanted a new reserve keeper and we got one and he without doubt is an improvement over Jones so at least he represents a step forward if only a small one.

Milner to be honest originally I wasn't to bothered by this signing but I have since changed my mind and now believe he will be a huge player for us over the coming season.  Several things have changed my mind, better people than me have been singing his praises, City were desperate to keep him offering lots of money, he seems to have bought into the Liverpool project and finally and most importantly his performances in pre season have been excellent.n I again believe he has improved our squad from last season with a 29 year old Milner looking stronger than a 34 year old Gerard.

Gomez didn't know anything about this lad but he has been the shining light of pre season with some exceptional performances, yes I know it's only pre season and the opposition weren't all that but that's all I have to go on and by God the lad looks exciting.

We have also signed a couple of youth team players that those who are in the know seem to be excited about so that also looks good and if we continue to support and develop our young players as we have been uni believe we will continue to be able to sign the best young talent from around the world and this can only help the first team.

So, overall I'm delighted and excited about the season ahead, with new coaches in place I hope some work gets done on defending and set plays at both ends and we could achieve anything, let's hope for exciting times ahead.

@lfclumo 

What Changes?

What changes are needed at Liverpool Football Club?  First and foremost we must look at the playing staff, some of what we have is simply not good enough and some are leaving the club anyway.  Wholesale changes are probably not a good thing as evidenced by this season but we have let our club deteriorate so far that we probably do need to do it again.  Personally I agree with arguments I have heard about buying strikers with our money as the most important problem area that needs solving but it could also be argued that we will need, starting at the back a reserve keeper cover at left back, two right backs, a central defender, a defensive midfield or two plus a box to box type and possibly three strikers.  Current rumours suggest that we are looking at a goalkeeper with Timo Horn of Cologne reportedly a target, Montoya a possibility at right back several midfielders have been linked with James Milner looking likely, and with Ings and Origi likely to arrive up front we already have 5 people coming in and I suggest this is still not enough we are looking for the marquee signing up front probably a further player in midfield and a centre half, to many changes but necessary especially as we need to get rid of so many players Enrique, Johnson, Aspas,Coates, Alberto, Lambert, Borini, Balotelli and Brad Jones make it eight in and nine out but we also have Gerrard leaving, probably Toure, possibly Lucas and huge doubts over Sterling all this amounts to huge changes in the playing staff and problems ahead for the manager.

Or possibly not for the manager as I think it's time for changes in the structure of the club with a Director of Football or similar to. E appointed to work with the manager, I don't know who as I don't know enough about the people who fill these roles but there is so much to do at Liverpool that I believe it is far to much for the manager alone to deal with, this summer we must get the majority of transfers right as well as bringing on the players from last year in my opinion broadly speaking our current manager is very good at developing players not so good at identifying targets and when we do identify targets the club is terrible at bringing them in.

Do we need a new manager? Has he simply made to many mistakes? To stubborn? Probably to all of the above but I also can't forget what we achieved under Rodgers last year so to be honest I'm on the fence I wouldn't be to upset either way but I do believe we should be looking at options, I would be disappointed in our owners if we weren't at least sounding out Klopp, a top manager who is available and on the face of it seems perfect for us.  If an improvement on what we have becomes available and wants to come then surely we should go for it, we can never turn down an improvement.

Whoever is in charge next season they need more help, more better coaches.  I do believe that Rodgers is a good coach but nobody can do it alone I would like to see a far bigger team of experienced coaches along with former players etc working under the manager.  I simply believe that more people are better, with more people you can do more its that simple and we have plenty to do.

So for me new players, new director of football, new coaches and possibly a new manager not much left to change but I honestly believe we need it we are in danger of falling even further away from the top table and need to reverse this fall now bringing in a couple of free transfers and hoping for the best will simply not do, big changes needed at Liverpool now.

@lfclumo 

Contracts, Banners and Rodgers Out

Firstly let me state my position.  I think it is probably time for a new manager, for me Rodgers has made to many mistakes, is a little to stubborn and the results of the first team have not been good enough over the whole season culminating in is, in all probability, missing out on qualification for the Champions League. I also think that £100,000 per week is enough for Sterling but I don't really care If we pay him more, I believe he is a good player I want him to stay at the club and would be gutted if he signed for any of our rivals.

Now bearing this in mind I absolute agree that people are allowed to disagree with me they are allowed to voice their opinions especially fans of the club people who have invested so much into the club are allowed, in fact should be encouraged to voice their opinions but surely we need to think a bit before doing so, surely we shouldn't be doing so to the detriment of the team or individuals or to put it another way don't act like a twat, don't engage in twatish behaviour.

Liverpool fans support the manager and the team no matter what you can voice an opinion but always support those representing us the manager and the players on the pitch, booing the team or manager can only have a negative effect on their performance so counts as twatish behaviour, same goes for Rodgers out banners or hand written signs in biro on a bit of paper both twatish, we all know things are not going well, so do our owners, so there is no need to tell them and destroying any confidence we have in the process.  Anybody who pays all that money to protest at the expense of team they claim to support is twat in my book

Shouting abuse at an individual because he dared to hold out for a bit more money is another example of twatish behaviour disagree with it, that's fine, but don't go out of your way to try and put him off his game he still gets his money and probably his pay rise or move we just get a poor performance and possibly a poor result.  Support players,money play for Liverpool, they are our players and we are all supporters.

Flying a plane over our ground with a banner on it is the ultimate twatish behaviour, I never thought I would see the day when we as Liverpool fans stooped this low, we all know Manchester United fans are generally twats but at the weekend we proved that we can lower ourselves to their levels.  A group of fans felt that it was appropriate to speak for all of us and what they said was look at us we are Twats.

The atmosphere inside our ground has become toxic, we are traditionally seen as the twelfth man, not anymore I doubt we are helping and I believe that now our own support is actually hindering the team. So please remember you prime role as a supporter is to support the team, have opinions and voice them but no matter what support the team, remember we tell our players and manager before every game that they will never walk alone, let's make sure we keep this promise, let's find the twats me tell them to behave, you can normally spot them by the half no half scarfs another thing that must go, but that's for another day