The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 30th May 2012

shamelessyid said:

lads...
At the end of the day we can all speculate... even those 'in the know' are hearing conflicting stories. We all have our opinions but truth be told Harry has delivered to us what we have wanted for so long - the Champs League and Top 4 finishes... Granted things could have been better last season but considering the almighty fuck up that transpired following the Newcastle demolition, i think we should just be grateful for what we got. For all of Harry's faults, he's given us what we wanted, whether we agree with what he does and how he does it, the job has been done.

Bottom line... im on the fence (splinters and all!)... what will be, will be...!

Im more interested in seeing Vertonghen in his new Chicken Badge shirt... and hopefully Ade, Leandro, Either of the de Jongs and hopefully getting rid of the crap thats clogging up the changing room doors!!

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*facepalm*

Dan Ashcroft said:

Good please no. At his age, surely he can't do yet another season on the bench either.

2 forwards is enough if we're committed to a form of 4-5-1 (which after the 4-4-2 hammerings we took in the spring should be an absolute). What would be good though would be having a wide player who can double up as a 3rd #9 (i.e. Remy).

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I don't think 2 forwards is enough and Remy would likely only be coming in as a striker not as a wideman. Defoe is 29 but he won't want to be on the bench again and despite him doing well for us as an impact sub in terms of goalscoring he can't really substitute for Adebayor. Maybe we sign two established strikers and try to find a really exciting young player to develop as 3rd choice or that offers us something different (maybe pacier than our other options for example if we want to throw another look at the opposition).

ryantegan said:

Im not saying Harry wont go.

If he does, then it seems to me that it would be something he is forced into.

He says he wants to stay

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Of course he does.

What are his option? Cling on to his job with us or go and be DoF for his fascist mate at Swindon!

Jonboy said:

Im not convinced Rogers would turn down the scousers to come to us?????????????
Please someone convince me.

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Jonboy...do you know how to do a search on here? If you do, search my posts for mention of Liverpool, read a few of them, and you will see where I consider Liverpool to be, viz ourselves, ATM. Hopefully, that will convince you that we wouldn't just be blown out of the water by the Scousers

mystery, wpd & ryan, thanks for the new information, I like what you've said so I'm going to take yours as gospel and ignore the rest

Clamour_Kid said:

We had 3 for the whole of this season.

1st Half (Ade, JD, Pav) 2nd Half (Ade, JD, Saha).

Personally, I would like to see JD sold and us bring in all 3 with Rafa as the no. 10 option.

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I wasn't talking about this season. This season we had the right amount in my opinion, considering that VDV when fit will always occupy the 'in the hole' position anyway. Between all players who played in the front two positions for us this season, we scored 43 in the league. That's good, but it's not really title challenging form. By comparison, in 06/07 when Berbatov and Keane had their best season together in front of goal, we scored 41 in the league in total from Berba, Keane, Bent, Defoe and Mido. These days it's not a case of wanting each of your front 2 scoring 20+ like back with Sheringham and Klinsmann, because these days there squads are far deeper with alternative options (I think the only actual other striker at the club that season was Rosenthal). These days it's a case of the front 2 positions averaging 20 each (remember when we had Jermobbie Keafoe?), and that was achieved between by Adebaha and Van Def CHenko.

The problem, though, is that while Defoe and Van der Vaart (Pav only scored 1 anyway) between them did score 22, for a title challenge that appears to be a good return for the second highest goal getting position in the team, but for the highest goal getting position, Adebayor and Saha really need more than 20 between them (the three teams that finished above us each had a striker who on his own, as the main forward, scored more than Adebayor and Saha together, and that's before you take into account their alternatives). For instance, while Balotelli and Dzeko (Champions) together only outscored Defoe, VDV and Pav by 4 in the league, Adebayor and Saha were outscored by Aguero and Tevez by 7, and that's with Tevez only playing 9 matches.

I think if we keep Defoe and VDV competing for one position (and I think we will, because I can't see VDV leaving and I can't see anybody offering enough to take a Defoe who has just had a good season and is going to the Euro's. Defoe might say he's not starting enough, but the main reason he's at the Euro's is probably because he's shown how good he can be as a second choice), then it's only the number 9 position we really have to worry about. That requires two signings, and given that he's already part of the furniture and had a good season (which I think he'll improve on) in scoring 17 league goals (over 20 if we take into account wrongly disallowed goals) I'd like to see one of them being Adebayor. However, I do think it's time to take a bit of a financial risk and make the other striker signing someone of equal or better ilk, because while he didn't get injured this season, if Ade had been injured long term he'd have been replaced for several games by someone who couldn't do what he does and that's just not a risk we can take. I know two 'superstars' for every position is not realistic with our budget, but if there's any position we should do that for, it's this position.

Even if we sign two strikers, defoe will, er, defo be off. we need free flowing attackers who can fill in when bale goes for a wander, and defoe is simply too limited.

By the time we arrive at an agreement with Inter for Leandro he'll probably be in his 40s.

Marty said:

£11m plus add-ons could mean the total bid was around £20m.

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Agree, i would imagine given the fact he is unproven in the PL and also that Brazilian's tend not to do so well over here that the add ons make up a large part of the fee and that they are all related to him being a success.

Makes sense really - Inter are pricing him like he's the next Ronaldo so we're basically saying that if he turns out to be that good we'll happily pay what they want, if not then we pay them less.

Apropos of today's thread, when dazherring posts I always read. He is one of the most no-nonsense posters going and knows his onions.

On Jasper's post earlier, the majority seem happy to dismiss out of hand, but I doubt the truth is that straightforward. Jasper's remark about Carlton Cole seems an emotionally-driven piece of hyperbole, an exaggeration made in desperation. That shows that following his ITK needs a pinch of salt. But the fact that Harry was chasing after an unattainable Didier Drogba and that the Adebayor deal took a long time to do are two pieces of info I believe to be fact. It's blatantly obvious we would/could only get one. And Harry wanted Drogba. That doesn't mean Adebayor was 'forced on' Harry but doing the deal was delayed by, at best, a dithering of fools by Harry and Levy.

Also, many posts recently seem to say either "half the squad hate Harry" or "almost all the squad love him". I think it safe to say, being ITK or not, that some of the squad like him, some dislike him, and some are ambivalent. So any comments of that nature are pretty irrelevant.

Bring on September 1.

andyp8080 said:

SACK HIM OR BACK HIM...........AND SOON

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Agree with this 100%

Are you Team Harry or Team Daniel

Im TEAM DEATHMATCH

rawhide said:

Have to disagree with Liverpool not being known for good football. In the 70s and 80s they played beautifully. They even released a crap FA Cup single "Pass and Move".

It's just the more recent Gerrard relying 'Pool teams that have little or no spark or finesse about them, the ones with the likes of Crouch and Carroll up front.

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C'mon!
Liverpool spent the entire 1980s playing Get a goal as quickly as possible and then see out the rest of the game with 80 yard back-passes to kicll the game off and win 1 - 0 football

L-man said:

*facepalm*

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could have been a lot worse!!

WestBelfast Spurs said:

Are you Team Harry or Team Daniel

Im TEAM DEATHMATCH

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Undecided...

<<<<<<

Absolute disaster re: Rodgers to Liverpool.

Gah I am so gutted.

I really hope he fucks up!

StartingPrice said:

C'mon!
Liverpool spent the entire 1980s playing Get a goal as quickly as possible and then see out the rest of the game with 80 yard back-passes to kicll the game off and win 1 - 0 football

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So true... These days teams park 11 men behind the ball, try and get a corner and win a champions league final, so not a lot has changed.

R.

Clamour_Kid said:

Who?

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Be fair, got 2 or 3 great assists for the England U-19s the other day, there is still a chance he'll make a squad player.

Bobbins said:

Absolute disaster re: Rodgers to Liverpool.

Gah I am so gutted.

I really hope he fucks up!

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There is a good chance it won't work out if they employ Van Gaal. The Dutchman won't let some upstart take any glory and will undermine him from the start. Will be fireworks, I reckon. That can't be good.

Still, with a great manager, internationally revered DoF and the money I'm sure they'll spend on dramatic improvements to the squad, I am confident that Liverpool will achieve the fine goal of breaking their way into the top seven next season.

ryantegan said:

Im not saying Harry wont go.

If he does, then it seems to me that it would be something he is forced into.

He says he wants to stay

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Fair play thanks for clearing up!

Personally id take Rogers now only if Van Gaal was DOF, i think that would be a very potent and successful combo, bit only as a combo, rodgers just doesnt have the name / track record currently to attract and make some of those bigger players to come, add van gaal into the mix and its a different story imho