James Milner Player Thread (M) (Liverpool > Brighton & HA)

Milner runs himself to the ground. Literally. Every game.

I always loved Kuyt and he wasn't the most technical player either. Sometimes he made you smile with his goals, sometimes just pull your hair with his clumsiness, but you could never say ANYTHING about his passion. Jesus Christ that f**ker could and would run all F***ing day. I can remember him closing down that right wing so many F***ing times! I remember myself laughing and thinking 'what the hell is wrong with this guy! stop running!'

Anyway, I love a player who puts a shift in. Milner does. Maybe he's not the most gifted player, but when he plays he gives his 100% every-F***ing-time. I believe if all our players did the same week in week out, our actual position in the table would be much better than it is.

an athlete, not a footballer.

What's the point

The number of times he falls over trying to control a moving ball, poor footballer who should never be in the same team as Hendo and Lallana.

The number of times he falls over trying to control a moving ball, poor footballer who should never be in the same team as Hendo and Lallana.

Anyone could be in the team with Lallana. Lallana has been utter sh*t lately.

Milner needs to play centrally, we don't get his best on the wing.

Anyone could be in the team with Lallana. Lallana has been utter sh*t lately.

Milner needs to play centrally, we don't get his best on the wing.

He played centrally and was utter crap, now on the wing and still crap.

He isn't a footballer, just an athlete who runs a lot and works hard.

He played centrally and was utter crap, now on the wing and still crap.

He isn't a footballer, just an athlete who runs a lot and works hard.

Didn't think he was that bad centrally for us. Granted, he did not set the world on fire but I did not think he was sh*t. I wanna see him and Hendo in the middle, I think those two could make a nice pairing.

He was ok today, nothing to write home about. He's played better for sure.

Can we please release him? How long is his contract?

Should never be in the same midfield as Hendo, Can, Lucas and Lallana - pace and acceleration of a crippled snail.

The number of times last night we had an opportunity to counter particularly in the first half. None of these could break out of our half they are plodders.

I am going to get a lot of hate for this, but James Milner is a great example of how English players are over-rated by the press.  I have never understood any of the hype or plaudits on Milner.  Basically, he just fills a space and position (and I don't mean that in a complimentary way).  Gives you nothing in terms of cutting attack and not that great defensively.  Good at making easy routine passes? Check.

I am going to get a lot of hate for this, but James Milner is a great example of how English players are over-rated by the press.  I have never understood any of the hype or plaudits on Milner.  Basically, he just fills a space and position (and I don't mean that in a complimentary way).  Gives you nothing in terms of cutting attack and not that great defensively.  Good at making easy routine passes? Check.

He's crap defensively. He's got a good work rate and runs about, but that's not the same thing as being good defensively. When he was played at right back for City he was awful. He cannot defend. He's also ridiculously unintelligent when it comes to defending. He's made a number of stupid fouls this season when we've been defending a lead near the end of games. Going forward he does do the sensible thing more often than not, but because most of the team aren't very intelligent it usually ends up not working well. His first touch is probably the worst in our team. He cannot control a football.

Hate watching him play for us. Him and Mignolet both do my head in every week and it's even more painful knowing they won't ever be dropped.

He's crap defensively. He's got a good work rate and runs about, but that's not the same thing as being good defensively. When he was played at right back for City he was awful. He cannot defend. He's also ridiculously unintelligent when it comes to defending. He's made a number of stupid fouls this season when we've been defending a lead near the end of games. Going forward he does do the sensible thing more often than not, but because most of the team aren't very intelligent it usually ends up not working well. His first touch is probably the worst in our team. He cannot control a football.

Hate watching him play for us. Him and Mignolet both do my head in every week and it's even more painful knowing they won't ever be dropped.

Dude you champion Moreno and then you berate Milner for unintelligent defending and stupid fouls?!

I like Milner.  When used in the right capacity he is a very good player.  He showed as much for City where he was an important 1st team member for several years.  The problem is that the position he plays well (as a traditional RM) is not where he wants to play and is not a typical role in Klopp's favored 4-2-3-1 system.  Klopp prefers pacey wingers and/or inside forwards to a traditional two-way, box-to-box RM.  Milner is too good (and too expensive with wages) to sit on the the bench and be a bit-part role player, so I could see him leaving for another club where he is a better fit. 

Same exact spiel could be applied to Benteke really.  Good player (when used correctly) and a regular goal scorer in the right setup, but he just doesn't mesh with Klopp's vision and tactical setup.  I want Klopp to have the players he wants/needs to properly implement his style of play, which likely means a swift exit for both Benteke and Milner....

Fantastic performance from James today.

He is not in the team to offer creativity but he's a water carrier who works best with flair players. His positioning and effort really pressed the defence today.

Fantastic performance from James today.

He is not in the team to offer creativity but he's a water carrier who works best with flair players. His positioning and effort really pressed the defence today.

Agree.

I thought he was excellent today.

Fantastic performance from James today.

He is not in the team to offer creativity but he's a water carrier who works best with flair players. His positioning and effort really pressed the defence today.

+3 on this one. Milner played exceptional. I thought our whole midfield did as well.

Fantastic performance from James today.

He is not in the team to offer creativity but he's a water carrier who works best with flair players. His positioning and effort really pressed the defence today.

It's not coincidence that a bunch of our water-carrying hard workers like Milner and Henderson looked so much better with a genuinely top quality centre-forward ahead of them. The movement of Sturridge improves all 5 of the players playing behind him. Hell it even improves the play of Moreno and Clyne, the whole frickin team in fact.

I really don't like him as a player, but he was very good today. Still someone who I'd want out of the team come the start of next season.

I think if you play him as part of our 3 man midfield then he is very good.
Playing him as part of a front 3 is a disaster because it normally means a 3 man midfield of Hendo, Can and Lucas.
That means you have 4 very similar and limited players all together in a team

I really don't like him as a player. He's got absolutely no touch and no skill. His passing is really hit or miss. All that being said, fair play to the lad, he usually does at one really good thing per match which sets up a chance/goal/results in him scoring. Yesterday it was the ball across the box to Sturridge.

I really don't like him as a player. He's got absolutely no touch and no skill. His passing is really hit or miss.

He's a very similar player to Hendo where both are runners and known for their graft, not great passers and nor skillful. Only thing Hendo has on him is that he's younger.

He's a very similar player to Hendo where both are runners and known for their graft, not great passers and nor skillful. Only thing Hendo has on him is that he's younger.

Comparing Henderson and Milner is very lazy. They've got some things in common, yeah, but Henderson is a significantly better footballer. Henderson has a really good passing range and in general is better than Milner at most things.