Your Liverpool/Everton Combined XI

I just stumbled upon this thread on the Bluenose forum: http://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/62096-Which-Liverpool-players-if-any-would-make-your-Everton-first-11

And they call us deluded

Anyway, what would your Merseyside FC team look like? Here's mine (impartial version!):

Mignolet v Howard - Mignolet every day of the week for me. He's had a very good start to life here, carrying on from where he left off with Sunderland. Howard used to be decent, but he's been sh*te when I've watched him lately (Villa away his only good performance this season my mate tells me).
Johnson v Coleman - this is actually quite a tricky one. I really like Glen; when he's bad he's pretty bad but for the last 18 months he has been tops. Class player. Coleman is a talent though, bargain for the Bluenoses, think they got him for a few grand from Ireland. He's good going forward and solid defensively (can get done by movement I've gathered though). If it was a 'for the future' question, I'd take Coleman, but for now I'd stick with Glen.
Toure/Skrtel v Jagielka - it's between these three for the right centre-back spot. Jagielka is a good defender when his team are up against it, but gets exposed constantly when his side attack and leave the defence open a la England the other night. Good as Skrtel has been this season, I think Kolo still offers a bit more as an allround solid defensive game.
Agger/Sakho v Distin - Distin was excellent for the Toffees last season but he's a notch below our two left siders. With Kolo providing plenty of physical prowess I'd opt for Agger's ball-playing ability. Sakho obviously has this role sewn up for the future, however.
Enrique v Baines - the first defensive no-brainer - Baines takes this. Offers a lot more going forward, a great set-piece weapon and has improved defensively over the last couple of years. Wish we didn't release him at 15!
Lucas v Barry - these two both play the holding role well, sniffing out danger in those areas of the pitch. Due to injuries in Lucas' case and age in Barry's, neither are particularly mobile nowadays. It's pretty tough. Think this is a genuine draw, so I'd keep Lucas because, well, he's ours
Gerrard v McCarthy - now I do like McCarthy, have done for a while, was slightly gutted to see him join these. He's got great energy and is getting better every week. BUT, in a contest against Steven Gerrard, he comes a distant second. Stevie may not provide the thrust he once did, or the enthusiasm present in McCarthy's arsenal, but he is a better passer, better crosser, better shooter and a set-piece threat even now.
Henderson/Moses v Mirallas - Moses still hasn't been given a real chance on the wing for us where he does his best work so it's hard to judge him. Hendo did well on the right against a lacklustre Fulham, kind of played the Dirk Kuyt role. But I'm a big believer in wingers being exciting players who take opponents on, and Mirallas' dribbling ability is pretty impressive. Wouldn't mind him in red!
Suarez v Barkley - as much as I like Barkley, and as good as he will be, Suarez is a clear winner right now.
Coutinho v Pienaar - Pienaar used to be really underrated in my opinion, linked up with great with Baines, but since he left for Spurs and went back to Everton he's definitely lost a bit of his mojo. Coutinho is class, and wins this fairly comfortably.
Sturridge v Lukaku - how tough is this? The battle of the Chelsea rejects do you go for the silky, skilful and clinical Sturridge or the powerful, beastly and clinical Lukaku? Personally I think Sturridge is a more rounded player right now; Lukaku still quite raw in some aspects of his game such as first touch. Both will be top 20 strikers in the world soon enough, but I'd take our man at this moment for sure.

So we win that 9-2, with a couple of tough ones that could have gone either way. Team would line up something like this:

Code: [Select]

       Mignolet
Johnson  Toure  Agger    Baines
            Lucas  Gerrard
Mirallas                    Coutinho
           Suarez  Sturridge
Bench: Howard, Sakho, Coleman, Barry/McCarthy/Henderson, Barkley, Moses/Henderson, Lukaku.

Think a squad like that would be up in or around the top 2/3. Left back is a weakness of ours and we could do with a quality winger like Mirallas.

Over to you...

Mirallas is decent but not consistent enough yet.

Toss up between Kolo and Sakho, I rate them both highly.

Can't be arsed with the subs but I'd take Barkley.


                Mignolet
             
             Toure  Agger   
Johnson                       Baines
                 Lucas 

          Gerrard Coutinho

     Suarez              Sturridge
                Lukaku

You're quite deluded.  If you're going to pick certain players just "because they are ours" then what is the point at having an objective look at the combined XI?  Sturridge has been a cracking player for us and he hopefully will get even better, but I don't think any manager in the world, when offered either Sturridge or Lukaku, would pick Sturridge. 

And what on earth are you doing creating a choice between Barkley and Suarez?  Suarez is a striker FFS.  Barkley is already about ten times the player Henderson is, so it would be Barkley over Henderson.  Mirallas over Moses.  Coutinho clearly over Pienaar.

If it were a 4-4-3 it would look something like this:

Mignolet
Johson Skrtel Agger Baines
Barry Gerrard Barkley
Suarez Lukaku Coutinho

You're quite deluded.  If you're going to pick certain players just "because they are ours" then what is the point at having an objective look at the combined XI?  Sturridge has been a cracking player for us and he hopefully will get even better, but I don't think any manager in the world, when offered either Sturridge or Lukaku, would pick Sturridge. 

Mignolet
Johson Skrtel Agger Baines
Barry Gerrard Barkley
Suarez Lukaku Coutinho

I think the choice between Sturridge and Lukaku would be a lot more difficult than you suggest.

Although you are a bit mental, so maybe there's no point.

I think the choice between Sturridge and Lukaku would be a lot more difficult than you suggest.

We should have a poll. 

If Chelsea tomorow offered us a straight swap with Sturridge for Lukaku, would you keep Sturridge or take Lukaku?

We should have a poll. 

If Chelsea tomorow offered us a straight swap with Sturridge for Lukaku, would you keep Sturridge or take Lukaku?

How many "managers in the world" are lilely to respond to this poll?

I'll give you a clue: none.

Which largely renders the results of any such poll utterly F***ing pointless.

We'll have Baines they can have Sissoko

Job Done..

How many "managers in the world" are lilely to respond to this poll?  I'll give you a clue: none.

erm.  The question is to Liverpool supporters on the forum, that is the point of this forum, you know, to discuss things we have absolutely no control of, because we enjoy doing so.  The point of this thread in particular was to compare the best Everton players versus our players.  If you find it a futile conversation then you don't have to participate.  Take it easy mate, look on the bright side of life.   

We'll have Baines they can have Cissoko

Job Done..

 

I'd take that, reluctantly.

"Aly mate, it's not you, it's me..."

Where are FSG going to find the money for Sissokho? 

Mirallas,  Baines,  Lukaku in.
Aspas,  Cissokho,  Sterling out.

Done.

I think the choice between Sturridge and Lukaku would be a lot more difficult than you suggest.

Although you are a bit mental, so maybe there's no point.

Hahaha
Your observation about Sturridge and Lukaku is entirely correct as is the statement regarding the poster's credibility.

erm.  The question is to Liverpool supporters on the forum, that is the point of this forum, you know, to discuss things we have absolutely no control of, because we enjoy doing so.  The point of this thread in particular was to compare the best Everton players versus our players.  If you find it a futile conversation then you don't have to participate.  Take it easy mate, look on the bright side of life.   

You were the one who mooted that "no manager in the world" would choose Sturridge over Lukaku, and then when queried about it, suggested a poll on this website would add credence to your hypothesis.

I simply - and correctly - pointed out that this would offer no correlative information, and was therefore useless.

I hope this helps.

PS any such poll on this website would in fact, do the opposite, because Sturridge would come out on top, populated as it is, with mostly Liverpool fans who like Sturridge a lot.

any such poll on this website would in fact, do the opposite, because Sturridge would come out on top, populated as it is, with mostly Liverpool fans who like Sturridge a lot.

Well, see, this is part of the problem running through the supporters group in the last few years, they care more about "liking" players than about winning.  If you look at it objectively, Sturridge is a cracking player, but Lukaku is world class.  If Suarez and Sturridge is one of the best duos in England, Suarez and Lukaku would be one of the best in Europe.  Hands down. 

But, you "like" Sturridge more, and couldn't give two shits about the CLUB succeeding, so, yea....

In any event, it's by no means suggesting Sturridge isn't a top player, I'd take him above almost every other striker in the league except maybe van Persie, Dzeko, Aguero etc.  But Lukaku has the ability to be one of the top players in the WORLD.  He really is that good.   And in the end I "like" our club more than I "like" any one player.

You apparently support Sturridge Football Club.  That's fine, there is another group, Lucas Football Club, there's also Borini Football Club, there was a Carroll Football Club etc. 

I prefer to support the success of the team over the success of any individual player.

But, to each his own...

Anyway we're never going to get Lukaku but it's fun to think about.   

Well, see, this is part of the problem running through the supporters group in the last few years, they care more about liking players than about winning.  If you look at it objectively, Sturridge is a cracking player, but Lukaku is world class.  If Suarez and Sturridge is one of the best duos in England, Suarez and Lukaku would be one of the best in Europe.  Hands down. 

But, you "like" Sturridge more, and couldn't give two shits about the CLUB succeeding, so, yea....

In any event, it's by no means suggesting Sturridge isn't a top player, I'd take him above almost every other striker in the league except maybe van Persie, Dzeko, Aguero etc.  But Lukaku has the ability to be one of the top players in the WORLD.  He really is that good.

OK, so now Dezeko is one of the top 3 strikers in the league.

Great stuff, loony.

Hahaha
Your observation about Sturridge and Lukaku is entirely correct as is the statement regarding the poster's credibility.

Fed? I rate his posts highly as he speaks his mind,  not just what is required to avoid an angry mob style trouncing. Even though I don't agree with everything he says,  I respect those opinions over a correct opinion that has been delivered in some of the absurdly abusive language commonly seen from some of the posters viewed with so called credibility. In my opinion there would be no reason they wouldn't all fit in in one lineup if the theoretical situation was a reality,  however Sturridge is tried and tested success here and some so called great players flopped here therefore Sturridge over Lukaku all day long.

F***ing hell, it must be day release time again.

I blame thatcher and her care in the community program.

F***ing hell, it must be day release time again.

I blame thatcher and her care in the community program.

you're not remotely funny.  Using the mentality ill as ways for you to insult people you have a disagreement with on a football forum between two almost evenly matched players shows an extreme lack of intelligence. Please go take an IQ test and let us know the results.

you're not remotely funny.  Using the mentality ill as ways for you to insult people you have a disagreement with on a football forum between two almost evenly matched players shows an extreme lack of intelligence. Please go take an IQ test and let us know the results.

 

Irony deficiency.

Back to the topic at hand, I think it's not only important to consider whether a player is better in a certain position, but also how they gel with their team mates.

Lukaku may turn out to be a better play than Sturrdige (for instance) but would he link up as well with Suarez?

The only player I'd swap instantly would be Baines for any of our left backs.

You're quite deluded.  If you're going to pick certain players just "because they are ours" then what is the point at having an objective look at the combined XI?  Sturridge has been a cracking player for us and he hopefully will get even better, but I don't think any manager in the world, when offered either Sturridge or Lukaku, would pick Sturridge. 

And what on earth are you doing creating a choice between Barkley and Suarez?  Suarez is a striker FFS.  Barkley is already about ten times the player Henderson is, so it would be Barkley over Henderson.  Mirallas over Moses.  Coutinho clearly over Pienaar.

If it were a 4-4-3 it would look something like this:

Mignolet
Johson Skrtel Agger Baines
Barry Gerrard Barkley
Suarez Lukaku Coutinho

You're the closet manc/bitter aren't you?

For what it's worth, I looked at it impartially. If I was an Everton fan I'd have taken Barry over Lucas for instance, but because I made it a tie I opted for our one. That's not being biased.

You genuinely think most managers would take Lukaku over Sturridge right now? The former is very good but his first touch is often abysmal and he's not particularly good at linking the play up. Just a great goalscorer and unsettles defenders due to his sheer power. Sturridge has got a variety of goals in him unlike Lukaku- see his chip v West Brom, long range belter at Man City, silky skill goal at Aston Villa. I could go on. I won't.

As for the Barkley v Suarez thing... yeah in an ideal world it wouldn't be a contest between those two but as we play two up top and them only one, it was the logical move seeing as Barkley is their number ten and Suarez is our deepest striker. Plus you're overrating Barkley a bit- he's only been playing first team footy at Everton for six months, has scored twice in that time. Hardly proven enough to be an absolute cert in this team.

You just love to complain about anything though, don't you, so feck knows why I've bothered replying

Fed? I rate his posts highly as he speaks his mind,  not just what is required to avoid an angry mob style tof the absurdly abusive language commonly seen from some.

He does speak his mind consequently there are a good many who doubt his credibility, strange as it may seem your posts also involve similar reacttion.

The only player I'd swap instantly would be Baines for any of our left backs.

This. The rest = pile of steaming blue sh*te.