Liverpool, Torres , Yaya and Barca

[Douglas Higginbottom]

"De Jong. He is carrying out his job exactly as he's asked IMO"

Not quite true all the time. I like Nigel as a player but his job isn't just about breaking the play up. It is important he is a link between the defence and our more attacking players. He needs to be available to get the ball and feed it to the likes of Barry/Ireland Tevez/SWP Ade/Bellers or whoever. The last thing we want is the ball to be passed long and hopefully. He migth not be the playmaker but he has an important role in helping to get the ball to someone who is.

[Original Dub]

Watching Liverpool struggle on and off the field , do you think that if no big buyer comes in and the americans stay , If we are top four and Liverpool dont make the champions league. Do you think that if we offer in the region of 60 to 80 million that liverpool and torres would accept?

I know this is dreaming but looking at the state of the finances of liverpool i think this would be a very smart move if not January to unsettle Liverpool, then try again in the summer.

And i heard that the reason hughes and Bowen went to watch barca was to meet Yaya toure and talk about joing in his brother. As i think Barca will get mascerano of liverpool. Im unsure about this as we have De jong , Kompany , Barry who all are Defensive midfielders. I rate De jong but he dont dominate the middle of park like Yaya would. I remember watching Barca make the rags look like schoolboys in the champions league final . And for me Yaya was the main reason for this as he totally dominated the middle of the park then give it to the boys who can create.

Opinions?

There's no doubt about it, torres is the cream of the crop and we should pull all the stops to get him given Liverpool's crisis.

Yaya Toure is a good player and he'd do very well in the prem, but De Jong does that job just fine, as does Mascherano. Playing a holding mid is no use though when the players around him in the middle of the park aren't doing their job, which IMO is happening to De Jong. He is carrying out his job exactly as he's asked IMO, but def mids rarely get the plaudits, particularly when you rarely keep clean sheets.
Also, you say Yaya commanded the middle of the park against the rags, but as far as I remember he played as centre half in that game?

For me De jong is a quality player but personally i feel he is too lightweight and small to actually " Dominate" the middle of the park. Yeah he breaks up play for us. But does he actually control the center circle he dont do that for me.

Yaya might of played CB but i didnt notice him there , i noticed him bullying the rags midfielders fairly. And looking sooo dominant. For me he was the reason the rags hardly had a look in.

Id like torres to come but i feel he is too honest of a player and if he leaves liverpool it will be back to his old club. But aint athletico in serious debt? and might have to sell aguerro?

January and next summer will be very intresting!

Sorry mate, but I don't see how you saw that, he played as centre half so how did he bully the rags midfield that you have ever seen?

[Renato_CTID]

Mascherano is a very over-rated player for me and I don't want him evermore with a skyblue shirt!
Torres is perhaps the best striker but although in the reason of a financial crisis of red scousers I think he'll stay at Anfield!

[mcfc1632]

Honestly if he became available (Torres) you know the rags will go for him also and I hate to say it unless we come higher than them in the prem and maybe even if we don't I know where he will go and it wont be to us. Luckily he wont go back to Spain unless he goes back to his old club he has said as much who cannot afford him now. Also if Chelski get there ban overturned you KNOW they would also put a bid in.

well I do not think he would go to the rags out of choice - and if scouse1 sell it will because of money needs - he is likely to go to the highest bidder - I think that he would prefer abroad but the highest money is here and prob with us

[mcfc1632]

The only way Torres would leave is if they sacked Benitez.

who they will sack if they're not in the champs league...

I do not think they will at all - if they are out of CL they will have a big financial problem - which would be bigger if they sack him - and who would come in then? - with no money available at all

[colonel_muck]

Don't think either player will come. Torres has been one of many Liverpool players to have slagged off city since the takeover, and i believe that priniciples mean a lot to him. Sure, a bid could be accepted, but i think if it was made clear to him by Liverpool that he would be leaving, he would have his agent shopping around clubs with a higher prestige and chance of winning the champions league this year. Bottom line, he doesn't want to leave Liverpool. And would £80-90m really help out the debt the yanks have piled on the club?

Can't see Hughes going in for another defensive midfielder, he's already bought in three (NDJ, Barry and Vin), would be a different story if the others already at the club were sven's players, but he's done enough overhauling in that position since he's arrived, getting another one would seem to me like he was admitting he had got it wrong, and to be fair i don't think he has.

Sorry for all the negativity, both players are in my world top 10 and i don't think i would ever have been happier in any aspect of my life if torres pulled on the sky blue, and its always great to get carried away with things, but sometimes things are a bit too far fetched. (Note, i'm hoping that by writing it off i somehow get made to look like a dick when city have them both signed by midday 2nd jan!)

[Dameerto]

The way Mascerano played last night I wouldn't mind taking him to be honest - he was probably their best player.

I do not rate masscarano at all personally.
Play when he wants to type of attitude he has.
Torres on the other hand would be an amazing capture.
He will not leave Liverpool though i reckon.

I was highlighting his performance last night rather than suggesting I wanted him at the club, he was outstanding. I agree with you about his temprament though.

[Mase]

Torres has been one of many Liverpool players to have slagged off city since the takeover

Fernando Torres has become the first Premier League star to admit what all the others are thinking - that Mark Hughes' new-look City are going to present a real threat to the so-called Big Four next season.
Liverpool's brilliant Spain striker has just watched at close quarters as Robinho and Elano helped Brazil to win the Confederations Cup and has noted manager Hughes' initial summer buys of Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz.

Anfield is gearing up for another major tilt at the title after a gallant effort last season to finish second.

But Torres told the club's official website liverpoolfc.tv: "I'm sure that Manchester United and Chelsea will be our main rivals but you can't leave Arsenal or Manchester City out of the equation.

"Man City are putting together a strong team with good signings. Manchester United have yet to sign players with the money they received from the sale of Ronaldo, but he will be sorely missed along with Carlos Tevez. We will have to wait and see which players they bring in."

City drew 1-1 at Anfield with a goal from former Red Craig Bellamy in February, one of the home results that weakened Liverpool's challenge to Manchester United, and Torres added that they must be ruthless this winter.

[Vhero]

Hughes' masterplan is to play with 3 defensive midfielders?
Yaya is a very good player, but not the type of player we need at the moment.

Yaya can also play CB mate and has done for Barca last season..

twice. in a pinch. he wouldn't be purchased to regularly play CB i can assure you. He would be purchased to sit in front of his brother wielding a sword and a shield and killing anything that comes into his area. And he's 3x the player NDJ is tbh.

cheers

I agree he is a better player than De Jong. But the fact he can go CB is helpful in case we need a player to cover that position.

[BlueMoonAwoken]

Sorry mate, but I don't see how you saw that, he played as centre half so how did he bully the rags midfield that you have ever seen?

Well i watched the whole game and i remember a very tall black guy keep intercepting passes and tackling in defence and midfield. It may of been when Barca was attacking and united was knocking the ball out to rooney and co and they was just being bullied by Yaya.

[Original Dub]

Sorry mate, but I don't see how you saw that, he played as centre half so how did he bully the rags midfield that you have ever seen?

Well i watched the whole game and i remember a very tall black guy keep intercepting passes and tackling in defence and midfield. It may of been when Barca was attacking and U***d was knocking the ball out to rooney and co and they was just being bullied by Yaya.

Fair enough, maybe I'm wrong...

[Slim]

GK 1 Víctor Valdés
RB 5 Carles Puyol (c)
CB 24 Yaya Touré
CB 3 Gerard Piqué
LB 16 Sylvinho
DM 28 Sergio Busquets
CM 6 Xavi
CM 8 Andrés Iniesta
RW 10 Lionel Messi
LW 14 Thierry Henry
CF 9 Samuel Eto'o

[Original Dub]

GK 1 Víctor Valdés
RB 5 Carles Puyol (c)
CB 24 Yaya Touré
CB 3 Gerard Piqué
LB 16 Sylvinho
DM 28 Sergio Busquets
CM 6 Xavi
CM 8 Andrés Iniesta
RW 10 Lionel Messi
LW 14 Thierry Henry
CF 9 Samuel Eto'o

You love helping me out.

[dazby]

haha, that is gold. Slim, sometimes your OCD can be very amusing.