Pennant out for 10 weeks (surgery needed)

In closing, Pennant is good enough for Liverpool

Disagree there. He is good enough for Liverpool against teams that allow him space - that's when you'll see a decent cross coming in. He becomes ineffective and frustrated if he doesn't have space though. Very rarely have I seen him have a good game when he's been pegged back to the halfway line. In turn you'll usually see Finnan overlapping getting the crosses in, which leaves Finnan out of position. If he was Liverpool class he'd be able to get down the line under pressure and put more crosses in than our right back.

Pennant is definately not Liverpool class. He is too stationary when he hasn't got the ball and when he has got it, he turns back away from the defender or goes inside more often than he takes the defender on. I also think it is a blessing in disguise. We need a more positive winger with more confidence in his ability. Select your top seven teams in the Prem. Most people will select a slightly different order, then ask yourself, of those teams, which ones will rush in to buy Pennant if he were to become available ? Not many I think. Wenger doesn't make many mistakes in player assesment. So why did he let him go ?

Sorry but ... excellent news... hopefully Gerrard will get a run out there.

At the end of the day - JP just isn't Liverpool class.

I would never state that it was excellent news when a Liverpool player is out injured, but i definitely agree that Pennant isn't Liverpool class... He flatters to decieve... doesn't score enough goals, and the one thing that he is given most credit for... his delivery, isn't as good as it should be in my opinion... to emphasise my point... Benitez refers to the amount of goals that Steven Gerrard scored when he was playing on the right, but it is hardly (or ever) mentioned that Pennant doesn't score enough goals from the same position!  Gerrard is the best right midfielder at the club, but i'd prefer that he played centre midfield which is why i think that Benitez should be looking at other options for the right side of midfield i.e. Benayoun or Babel, or a new signing.

Im not sure Babel would do a better job than JP, but i do like Gerrard on the right wing always have done to be honest.

Im not sure Babel would do a better job than JP, but I do like Gerrard on the right wing always have done to be honest.

You're not sure because Babel hasn't been given a decent run in the side yet.  I'd definitely prefer Benayoun on the right ahead of Pennant.

I beg to differ! He was outstanding in the Champions League Final, He has good ball control, and a Pennant-Crouch connection is deadly. Kewell is a left winger. Gerrard is good in the Central midfield, the only answer to Pennant's injury right now is Benayun. Or buy Jesus Navas from Sevilla (always homesick though)

In closing, Pennant is good enough for Liverpool

hahaha champions league final...JP got the ball about 5000 times (not exactly, but you know what i mean...he got it heaps), and delivered not one good cross...stevie g was making a run to the front post, and he delivered it to him at waist height...c'mon seriously, whats he gona do with the ball there??
It's not about how many times you get the ball, and how many times you get free space....its all about what you do with it that counts...JP, whilst he found himself with heaps of space, and jankulovski for milan had no clue what day it was....the fact of the matter is, that IF he'd delivered a decent cross (which he couldve done atleast once or twice), we would have won the match...we wouldve been 2-0 up atleast, all the momentum our way...and game over....our strikers had created space for a decent cross, and JP couldnt find there feet or heads....

You're not sure because Babel hasn't been given a decent run in the side yet. 

Then again who has been given a decent run, but i do get were your coming from here, but i am a fan of Pennent i think he adds another dimension to our play, but he is a very hot or cold type player which can get frustrating

hahaha champions league final...JP got the ball about 5000 times (not exactly, but you know what I mean...he got it heaps), and delivered not one good cross...stevie g was making a run to the front post, and he delivered it to him at waist height...c'mon seriously, whats he gona do with the ball there??
It's not about how many times you get the ball, and how many times you get free space....its all about what you do with it that counts...JP, whilst he found himself with heaps of space, and jankulovski for milan had no clue what day it was....the fact of the matter is, that IF he'd delivered a decent cross (which he couldve done atleast once or twice), we would have won the match...we wouldve been 2-0 up atleast, all the momentum our way...and game over....our strikers had created space for a decent cross, and JP couldnt find there feet or heads....

If he is as bad as painted here, why is he getting the regular shirt ahead of Benayun?

If he is as bad as painted here, why is he getting the regular shirt ahead of Benayun?

JP and yossi are 2 totally different players....yossi is more creative, and rafa brings him on to change a game and add some creativity to it...JP is a good winger (only GOOD, nothing more)....he is not good enough for this side if we want to seriously challenge for titles...our wings could be our weak spot at the moment...but also, i dont believe yossi is good enough for this squad either if we want to challenge for the title....
These kinds of players are good for the middle-rank English clubs like newcastle, tottenham, maybe even man city....but there not liverpool quality clearly....and why rafa buys them, i have no clue.....80% of our squad wouldnt get a start with the chavs, mancs or arsenal....so why do we have them??

Nabil El Zhar played right wing tonight and scored.

Not a bad return.

And JP has scored how many again?

Nabil El Zhar played right wing tonight and scored.

Not a bad return.

And JP has scored how many again?

Recall JP scored a good one against Chelsea form outside the 18 yard box. last season. And clearly, Cardiff is not Chelsea

Compare apples with apples....Nabil El Zhar is a reserves player FFS, and JP is a senior team player....

Recall JP scored a good one against Chelsea form outside the 18 yard box. last season. And clearly, Cardiff is not Chelsea

How many others has he scored?? And by the way, what's he done this season?...ie: the present, not the past.
Your only as good as your last performance...

I think that Pennant's poor performances are related to Sossoko, when he starts with sossoko he's not been consistant.  His best performances have come with Alonso and Mascherano, i haven't seen enough with gerrard in the middle, but when played with Sossoko we have seen the worst of Pennant.  Sometimes certain players can't play together.  Maybe Sossoko doesn't give him confidence to attack the full back, and i see that he does get a little lost with Sossoko.  Can someone bring any stats or is it me seeing different.

Been out of ten weeks is bad news for him, saying that this a good news for the team is a bit harsh on the lad. He doesn't score goals but he certainly delivered a few and as a winger if he gave 10 assist and score 1 on 11 games well that is good enough for me. i kind of agree with the fact that when playing with Mascherano and Alonso he is playing better then with MOMO.

Hope he'll get back and prove some critics wrong.

Quote : "Compare apples with apples....Nabil El Zhar is a reserves player FFS, and JP is a senior team player...."

And what the reserves player are for then??..if you are playing in the reserve is to have a chance to play in the first squad or to cover if needed so he is comparing apples with apples, they are all Liverpool FC players,  it's you who is missing the point there.

Good luck to JP.

Hope we returns a tad maturer too...

I work in Edinburgh so haven't been home for three weeks. I have a drink with my good mate last Friday and he tells me he was speaking to JP in town some four weeks ago. He said he was in the bog and some lad said to Pennant "you should be playing for England" and my mate replied that you have to start doing it for Liverpool first! Anyway outside in the club JP and my mate get talking. He said that the whole behind the scene thing has gone to "rat sh*t since Pako left" that "Benitez has lost it"!  JP was rotten drunk! with about half a dozen hangers on with him and was off to a party after the club! The lad who told me this is a 100% stand up fella and has never bullshited me all the time I have known him.
QUESTIONS
What was a highly paid professional athlete doing out in central Liverpool rotten drunk!!!
Why was he slagging of his manager to a person he doesn't ever know!
Your views please

I work in Edinburgh so haven't been home for three weeks. I have a drink with my good mate last Friday and he tells me he was speaking to JP in town some four weeks ago. He said he was in the bog and some lad said to Pennant "you should be playing for England" and my mate replied that you have to start doing it for Liverpool first! Anyway outside in the club JP and my mate get talking. He said that the whole behind the scene thing has gone to "rat sh*t since Pako left" that "Benitez has lost it"!  JP was rotten drunk! with about half a dozen hangers on with him and was off to a party after the club! The lad who told me this is a 100% stand up fella and has never bullshited me all the time I have known him.
QUESTIONS
What was a highly paid professional athlete doing out in central Liverpool rotten drunk!!!
Why was he slagging of his manager to a person he doesn't ever know!
Your views please

Even though I've heard from the inside the same about the Pako departure - which got me into loads of trouble here with a certain Jammydodger - I haven't wanted to make a bigger deal that what it is, because professionals must get over this kind of thing.

JP is a talented player, a VERY talented player - but his head has been all wrong, even well before he joined LFC and what happened with your mate is just another dot in his personality... that when you join up all the dots (yellow cards, moaning, drinking, drink-driving, Arsenal episodes, Bham derby games attitude, etc, etc) you get a picture emerging of the ARSEHOLE THAT THE SAD MR PENNANT WAS, IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE.

Its a damn good job we have a manager like Benitez cause if somebody as lowly as me knows about his antics then you can bet the shirt off your back Rafa has his spy network! Just like Bellamy I hope Pennant reaps what he sews. We can't afford to carry baggage like him. We'd be much better with two or three foreign youngsters who would do anything for the opportunities that Pennant has had. Maybe AA would sign him, f***in waster

AJ You have to be joking ! Against Besiktas Penant was almost stationary. When he was confronted by the full back he turned inside instead of taking him on. Was his injury to blame for that ? we'll never know,  if it was, why did he declare himself fit to play ? Steve Finnan got more crosses in and better quality ones too. Pennant has to go in Jan i.m.o.

I think pennant is a very good player and has a lot potential if we can get another scoring striker especially one that can accurately head the ball goal bound. In order to make effective use of his crosses.  However, if he is going to continue to carry baggage, its quite simple, he is not good enough for a club like us to carry him along.  Sort yourself out, or go and play at a lower level club that may be happy to carry him along!

AJ You have to be joking ! Against Besiktas Penant was almost stationary. When he was confronted by the full back he turned inside instead of taking him on. Was his injury to blame for that ? we'll never know,  if it was, why did he declare himself fit to play ? Steve Finnan got more crosses in and better quality ones too. Pennant has to go in Jan I.m.o.

Who's going to buy damaged goods in Jan - i.e. damaged above the shoulders and below the waist?