Summer of 2014: Part 2

Natalie Portman wrote:CBs are less about players, more about partnerships.

Rodgers wants his CB to play from the front foot and be good 1 vs. 1 defenders....Ideally you want an agressive CB + a sweeper. That's why Skrtel + Sakho partnership didn't work, because both are similar and too agressive. Sakho likes to step up, whereas Skrtel likes to defend more deep.

Lovren, from what I've seen and read, is very much like Sakho at wanting to defend from the front, and not backing down. My guess is BR wants us to squeeze the game against opponents, particularly at Anfield, to deny them space.
Most of us aren't convinced by Lovren as an individual, but can't comment on how a supposed partnership of him + Sakho would work. Also, BR was mad at none of our defenders taking responsibility for organizing the defense (something Carra used to do), and Sakho's English was bad, but Lovren is the organizer type so that's why I think BR is keen.

Also...all Mig, Sakho, and Lovren speak perfect French....so could we see our back 3 all sorting out their communications that way ?

Anyways....It's a gamble of a signing, but obvious one Rodgers has been keen on since start of the window. Guess we'll know if it's a good one or not in a few months. at least, the price isn't TOO ridiculous. Ayre has been negotiating very well this year, kudos to him.

Don't call me James wrote:When I get worked over with some of the players being linked with us this window I just stare at this photo and remind myself we missed out on the title on the last day.

The Reds are close to sealing deals for Loic Remy and Dejan Lovren, with Divock Origi set to follow.

This £38.5m triple swoop will take Liverpool’s spending close to the £100m mark and Rodgers has not finished yet after being promised all of the £75m Luis Suarez windfall.


Kolo Toure could join ­Trabzonspor and the Turkish club’s CEO, Burak Gurdal, is in transfer talks with Liverpool.

Vice-captain Daniel Agger could also be heading for the Anfield exit because he is unhappy with his first-team opportunities.

The Danish defender is ­frustrated at making just 20 Premier League appearances last season and knows his prospects could be limited again this term with Lovren joining.

Agger, who is wanted by Rafa Benitez at Napoli, said: “It is no secret that I had ­problems last season and I am considering things. How things turned out last season is not acceptable for me.”

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:I agree with Art and as I also said before. BR has to work out a proper plan so as to make that transition from attack to defense smoother. There were times where our midfielder or FB had done some mistake and sometimes we got saved by Mig but sometimes we did concede. There was always space everywhere when other teams (specially lower table teams at their home) were attacking. It has to be a collective effort from all-MFs, CBs, GK and BR-tactics. That is why I think we should really wait till winter window before we decide whom to sell from current crop of CBs.

Nishy wrote:Na buy another CB, Buying Lovren should make Art happy imo from the PL.

But IF Suarez wouldnt have left, Would we have started with a CB and LB search in the market?

Paul Wilkes provides the lowdown on the 20-year-old right-back reportedly heading to Arsenal...

The 60-second story When Atletico Madrid's controversial president Jesus Gil closed down Los Rojiblancos' youth academy in 1992 to save money, it had an immediate negative effect. A 15-year-old by the name of Raul joined cross-town rivals Real Madrid, and became one of the greatest strikers in history. Luckily, the youth system was reformed in time for Fernando Torres to progress through the ranks. Now there's a group of exciting prospects hoping to find regular first-team football at the Vicente Calderon, some of whom will be sold before reaching their full potential.

FACT FILE Date of birth: May 5, 1994 Place of birth: Madrid, Spain Position: Right-back Height: 5ft 9in Clubs: Real Madrid (youth), Atletico Madrid; 17 apps (14 starts), 0 goals National: Spain U20; 7 caps, 0 goals Honours: Copa del Rey (12/13), La Liga (13/14), U19 Euros (2009)

Oliver Torres, Saul Niguez and Jose Gimenez are joined by Javier Manquillo in hoping to follow midfield playmaker Koke into the starting line-up. Full-back Manquillo, however, has done a reverse-Raul having left Los Blancos to join Atletico. The defender was part of Spain's Under-19 squad that won the European Championship in 2012, and his career under Diego Simeone was beginning to take flight until a nasty collision with Cristiano Ronaldo in February's Copa del Rey semi-final put him in a neck brace for a month. Why you need to know him Manquillo is expected to be back-up for Mathieu Debuchy at Arsenal next season, with the Gunners currently negotiating a season-long loan.

The 20-year-old has played just six La Liga matches for Simeone's team, but has featured more regularly in the cup. Nevertheless, in his few outings Manquillo has proved himself to be a reliable and dependable player who doesn't instantly stand out from the crowd. He does the simple things well and is careful not to over-elaborate. In terms of style he is closer to an Alvaro Arbeloa than a Jordi Alba. His 14 tackles in only three league appearances last season was an exceptionally high amount. He is adaptable and can play on the left if required, like fellow countryman Cesar Azpilicueta. When David Villa surprisingly made the move to Los Rojiblancos for a small fee from Barcelona last summer, Manquillo was one of three players that the Catalans wanted first option on. There remains some doubt to the actual terms and conditions, but the fact they are paying attention shows his pedigree.

The player needs minutes on the pitch to aid his development, with the FA and League cups giving him the perfect opportunity to showcase his talent. Strengths Manquillo isn't your stereotypical Spanish full-back. Unlike many of his fellow professionals, he prioritises defending above the art of attacking. His positional sense is excellent, and by scarcely venturing forward he is rarely caught out. For a relatively small player (5ft 9in) he is superb in the air with a tremendous leap. He likes to play short passes and will give the ball to more creative figures, rather than trying anything spectacular himself. Meanwhile, his understanding of the game, athleticism and strength means he could be used as a centre-back. Weaknesses As attacking full-backs offer width and are now a modern necessity, this is an area in which he can increase his proficiency. His crossing is particularly poor, but by playing within the right team and tactical setup these problems can be negated. Any improvement in the attacking third shouldn't come at a cost to his natural game or defensive stability. As with many young players he needs to improve his concentration, which will come with more game time. They said... "Manquillo is growing and coming off a major injury," said Atleti boss Simeone shortly before the end of the campaign. "He does not play much, but he has the freshness of of a young guy who can give us things."

TALENTSPOTTER RATINGS Shooting 4 Heading 7 Passing 7 Tackling 8 Pace 8 Dribbling 6 Creativity 4 Work-rate 8

Did you know ? Javier is a twin. When Real Madrid's youth co-ordinator of the time, Ricardo Gallego, informed brother Victor that he was no longer required, Javier felt the emotional ties to his brother were too strong to stay on his own. Victor joined Atletico with Javier, who now plays for Rayo Vallecano as a striker. What happens next If Manquillo's transfer to the north London side goes through, the Spaniard will get at least 12 months with Arsene Wenger's nurturing skills. The Frenchman will then assess the youngster's betterment and decide if he wishes to make him a permanent fixture at the Emirates Stadium. Only time will tell where Manquillo's long-term future remains, but he is equipped to compete at the biggest clubs. Atletico's financial position means they are always looking to cash in on players every year, but knowing when to release them for maximum profit is the key.

Spoiler:

ExtremistEnigma wrote:Why are we getting a 20 year old with 6 professional apps under his belt on a loan lmao? We are outrageously hilarious.

What's wrong with giving chances to much more experienced Flanagan/Wisdom/Kelly or an up-and-coming McLaughlin, all of who are defensively more sound than this guy?

Manquillo to be loaned to Liverpool for 2 years according to MD, includes €6m purchase option and a buy-back clause for Atleti.

El Cujo wrote:

ExtremistEnigma wrote:Why are we getting a 20 year old with 6 professional apps under his belt on a loan lmao? We are outrageously hilarious.

What's wrong with giving chances to much more experienced Flanagan/Wisdom/Kelly or an up-and-coming McLaughlin, all of who are defensively more sound than this guy?

What makes them more defensively sound than Manquillo? From most reports and metrics he's quite good defensively, and still very young. If he develops well he could outshine all the RBs at Liverpool and if you want the best team possible you should consider all options not necessarily just homegrown ones.

ExtremistEnigma wrote:You can't convince me that a youngster who has just half a dozen professional appearances and moving to a much more competitive league will be defensively better than Flanagan, Wisdom, Kelly, etc. On top fo that, from what I've read so far, he is defensively pretty bang average. Fans in general have this terribly tendency of always finding the grass greener on the other side.

We desperately need an RB and an experienced one at that, someone who can permanently oust Glen Johnson out of the team.

Anyways, this seems to be only a loan so financially no damage is done. But what a pointless signing. Just because we have funds to spend now doesn't mean we should splash it on every other half-decent guy we find on the market. We're opting for quantity over quality which particularly disgusts me.