Sami Hyypia Player Thread

[priesty10]

Sami hasnt started for a number of games now but does anybody when his contract runs out/if he'll be offered a new one?

Its gonna be a shame to see him go as he has been a great singing since 99, cant belive we only paid 3m for him!

Hope he'll be remembered as one of the greats as he deserves that.   

[Glenbuck]

I think his contract is due up in 2008 and yes the lad is a legend and I think it is unfortunate for him how his Liverpool career has fizzled out. But I think we have all seen him losing his dominance in games and maybe not getting to headers he should then add to that the emerging talent of Agger and also the other centre backs waiting in the wings and maybe then it is no surprise he is playing less and less.

[priesty10]

2008? thats good then, I expect him to play less and less but he is still an able defender, one of the main reasons I want im to stay tho is as we have a number of very young CB's Hobbs/Antwi/Threlfall/ and a few others so I think he can help develop them.

Agree tho Agger/Carra are the new bread and are immense........

[batman0077]

idk. I haven't seen much of sami lately, so I can' t say much. he has aged a lot, and he is a good defender. he can be the old man of the group and give advice or something. we can keep him for a bit to bring out when we need some true leadership, but I don't think he's of much help to us now.

[mrtommo]

I would love Sami to stay another season and rightfully claim his testimonial.
In would be a fantastic night where we could send him off in style.

[priesty10]

Think your a fews years short there Mr tommo.....

He'd have to stay another 2 years to get his testimonial??

[mrtommo]

Think your right mate 

ok , I would love Sami to stay another 2 seasons .................

[Watt]

I really really like Sami, he is one of my big heroes. Hes been at Anfield for so long now, played a huge amount of games (just recently joined the top 25 of those who played most for us!!) But he wanna play football, thats what he loves, and also to get to play for the finnish national team he need to be playing more than he is now I guess. Think its a fact that Agger is Rafas top choice now, to partner Carra. So Sami could be wanting to leave Liverpool.. But I know he is keen to get to play next season to finish his contract, and then a season more to get a decade. That would be awesome, if he could. And in my opinion, I think he deserves it. He IS a Liverpool Legend.

...but then we would be back at the Keeping-players-just-for-fun/sentimental reasons (Robbie) -debate.... And I guess that would be off topic

[Nicola]

Do you guys think he will want to stay, just so he can do a decade? I do. He clearly loves this club. He is a legend and totally deserves a great sending off, whether he retires or goes to another club!

[Crazy Horse]

Sami's name will be held in the highest regard with so many other true Liverpool Legends, He has played for us at a time when unfortunately we couldn't win the League but in his time he was the best center back in that league. He has amassed a fair old medal collection to show for his time with the reds, and I hope he's here for another year at least (if Carra or Agger got injured he would still be the one I'd want to replace them).

[lester76]

The guy is class in every respect. Such a great and cultured defender on the field and a superb ambassador for the club. A leader who sees the team as a whole as the greater good. Would love him to stay and keep putting pressure on Agger and help the education of Paletta and the rest....he'd be in my all time, all clubs Premiership XI

[riise' boot boy]

absolute legend. can see him sticking around to try proove to rafa he is good enough to start again. he's got the right mentality for it. his response to agger being signed was "bring it on" and im sure its the same now

[Jabba]

Just because Sami hasn't been getting picked doesn't mean we can assume he isn't as good.  He was a great servant for us - I am sure when he signed at the time we were all... oh no not another scandinavian defender.

But he has been the best of the bunch and really steadied our ship when we couldn't defend at all.

I don't think he should be leaving this summer.  But he could still play most games for any other Premiership or European team.

The decision will be the players - I don't think Rafa would want to lose him yet.

[Watt]

The guy is class in every respect. Such a great and cultured defender on the field and a superb ambassador for the club. A leader who sees the team as a whole as the greater good. Would love him to stay and keep putting pressure on Agger and help the education of Paletta and the rest....he'd be in my all time, all clubs Premiership XI

A real leader, a true veteran.
You can always read about the other players, especially the youngsters, praising Sami Hyppia for what he is and for what he does for them and the club.
And the fact that he helps out with the young, new ones, like Paletta and Agger, the ones who possible one day are likely to take over the defending part, helping them get into the team and adapting to the english game, that shows strength I think. To teach someone your job, in the idea of them on day pass you in skills, that takes humility and character. Hyppia is a real professional.

absolute legend. can see him sticking around to try proove to rafa he is good enough to start again. he's got the right mentality for it. his response to agger being signed was "bring it on" and im sure its the same now

Really hope so!
But he wants to play.

[gerrard8]

sami is a great player and it is ashame that he is not playing but I dont think he will be offered another contract

[camara14]

age has finally caught up with sami but he should always be remembered as one of the best center half's this club has ever had. In numerous games where we've been leading by one goal, just hanging on and our area's being bombarded there's sami winning everything in the air legend. hope he gets a good send off if only all signings were as loyal and committed as sami hyypia

[kelv78]

Hes been a great player but hes lost his pace and we have to move on and Agger is a good player to fill samis boots.

[TINHEAD14]

oooo sami sami, sami sami hyypia! Absolute legend, been a brilliant defender over seasons, I dont think he'll be offered another contract, I hope he does and he collects the only medal missing from the collection, the premership champions 2007/08.

[Roger8]

I would like to congratulate Sami Hyypia on his 400th prem appearence and thank him for being a great servant to our club.
Probably Houllier's best signing, he along with Henchoz, keep us alive when we were struggling, we owe him a lot.
Wonder if he's got a younger brother?
I'm sure he's got more in him, and when the time is right he won't let us down.
Good on yer Sami.

[EddieC]

Could that not of gone in HERE?

Please try & check there's not already a relevant thread running before starting a new one. Also mods, has the minimum post count to start a thread changed? This guys only got 5 posts to his name

[priesty10]

400 and counting!!

I think he could well make 415 does anybody know where that will put him on the all time list??

[Venison 86]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Liverpool_F.C._players

Steven Gerrard           383
Tommy Lawrence       390
Ray Kennedy              393
Sami Hyypiä                400
John Barnes               407
Arthur Goddard          415
Peter Thompson         415
Ian St John                   425
Donald Mackinlay         434
Ron Yeats                   454
Jamie Carragher           464
Elisha Scott                   468
Steve Nicol                   468
Steve Heighway          475
Phil Thompson            477
Roger Hunt                   492
Ronnie Whelan           493
Kenny Dalglish            515
Billy Liddell                  534
Chris Lawler               549
Alan Hansen              620
Bruce Grobbelaar        628
Tommy Smith            638
Phil Neal                  650
Ian Rush                  660
Ray Clemence            665
Emlyn Hughes            665
Ian Callaghan             857

Truely a legend, heres hoping for a new 1 year contract

[JD]

Sami Hyypia aiming to win new Liverpool contract
By David Maddock 26/02/2008 (Mirror)

Sami Hyypia is aiming to win another contract at Anfield so he can join an elite club of players who have given 10 years service to Liverpool.

The Finnish defender has been linked with several Premier League clubs, as his contract runs down, with no hint yet of a new deal.

Newcastle, Fulham and Bolton were all interested, but the central defender is adamant that he wants to stay at Liverpool.

And despite approaching his 35th birthday, the centre-half believes he can earn a new contract.
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"My priority would be to stay at Liverpool, but it's not only up to me," he said.

"I haven't got any offers yet from here or any other clubs, so I'm just trying to focus on the matches.

"I'm enjoying playing. I've played more games than I maybe thought I would this season because of all the injuries.

"The only thing I can do is try to play well, and when it's time to sit down see what happens.

"It would be very nice to get to 10 years at the club but I'm just concentrating on playing well."

Hyypia is the second longest serving player at the club behind Jamie Carragher, and he would enter a decade at Anfield if he wins a new deal.

And the defender admitted that at this stage of his career he is ready to accept any offer from Liverpool, no matter how much competition he faces from other centre-halves.

Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger will return from injury this week to stake their claim to a centre-half berth at Bolton on Sunday, but Hyypia is confident his form will fight off the challenge from the youngsters for some time yet.

"Whether I stay wouldn't depend on how many games I play. I'm not like that. I'm not interested in someone promising me anything," he added.

"If we have four centre-backs, then everyone fights for their place and performances should determine who plays.

"If I keep playing well then it'll be very difficult for the manager to change things."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/02/26/sami-hyypia-aiming-to-win-new-liverpool-contract-89520-20332058/

I think it would be wrong for us to get rid of Hyypia if he isn't making the demands that Hamann did.  We probably lost Didi a season too soon because he wanted to play x number of games a season which Rafa couldn't guarantee.  Sami isn't asking that and I still think that he is a very important influence both on and off the pitch on our two young central defenders.

[donrafael]

Not only would I keep Sami on the playing staff, I would also make sure he stays at Liverpool FC as part of the back room staff team for the next 10 years too.

He and Carra would make a truly brilliant coaching and management team in years to come. The man loves the club and the fans love Sami... of course he won't be able to play many games when Skrtel and Agger click (praying here...) but would he be a fantastic influence off the pitch?? ..too F***ing right he would.

The man is full of character, in fact, if memory serves me right, he was the VERY FIRST player to back Rafa in his hour of need, screw the silence he was supporting his boss, well done that man!

Liverpool's success legacy has been built on key individuals acting as references for the players, fans... and owner/s over many years - this must continue in eras to come.

Sami must stay, it would be foolish to let him go to Foolham. One year playing contract with two years coaching contract to follow that.

Does anyone know if Sami has started on his coaching badges yet? If he hasn't he should... I wonder if Rafa would back him on that score, because if Rafa loves the club as much as he says he does (and I believe he does) then he should look after the future and that means the team of players who will become the next generation of leaders at LFC. Rafa is a total one-off (a la Shankly and Paisley, and I mean that) ...but the playing staff becoming managers of future LFC set-ups is a must IMHO.

[ayrton77]

IMO Sami is aging like a fine wine, he is just getting better and better! We would be crazy to get rid of him, his current form is spectacular, and we will be in a great position with regards to our central defense when all our boys are back to full fitness. We will have excellent cover, should (god forbid) any of them get injured in the future or during periods where they may be suspended. Plus there is the added benefit of each man fighting for his place, this can only motivate them more. We have a good balance of youth and experience at the moment, why would we want to change this?

[Venom-C]

I would give him a contract without a doubt, especially with two young CB's (skirty and agger) and all the reserve CB's. His expierience is priceless and maybe he can teach skirty and agger how to snuff out attacks before the opposition even think of it themselves like he's been doing this season.

I hope he would eventually be a defense coach because he is a legend in every sense of the word.

[Trev]

Defo keep Sami he's been marvelous for our club right back from his days with Henchoz up till today a fantastic servant who as someone already mentioned deserves a place on the coaching staff when his playing days are finally over, keep going big man

YNWA

[7-King Kenny-7]

He has another 2 seasons in him I would have thought and then offer him a coaching role, he could have jumped ship to fulham when he was put out the team buy agger but he kept his head down and has proved he is still as good as he was a few seasons ago, except I get the feelin he has lost some of the pace he had

[Venom-C]

^ he never had much pace to begin with....

[EddieC]

^ he never had much pace to begin with....

True, he was never a player that depended on his pace, and that's why he's kept going.

He's been a great servant to the club, if he's happy to stay then why not let him? He's shown this season that he still has the ability to play for us, and recent events have shown that on occassions not even four centre backs is enough. I'd like to see him taking on a bit part role next season & starting on his coaching badges, so that the following season he can retire from playing & take up a position on our coaching staff.