Rickie Lambert (Southampton)

Atleast my opinion was clean. You are no doubt the most foul mouthed poster I've come across. England and Liverpool are two different teams yes... but some Liverpool fans support England too,.. and you could see 8 Liverpool players all playing for England this summer... Sterling, Sturridge, Lambert, Gerrard, Henderson, Johnson if we sign Lallana that is 7, If Flanagan is called up from stand bye that is 8.. It's a bad time to be a Liverpool fan and England hater right?

I do honestly rate Lambert but I just think he is a bit older than what we should be going for. If we land Lallana it could work out well. He's not over priced... but if we just get Lambert only I'll be disappointed. Seriously, stop hating and keep it clean.

And just what should we be going for and be prepared to pay for a 3rd/4th choice Striker in your view? Let's be clear on this. We're not talking about someone to replace/dislodge Suarez or Sturridge, we're talking about a squad player.

So you only rate Lambert if we get Lallana as well?

What difference does that make to how good Lambert is?

Lallana and Lambert play well together and are used to eachother, but if we say buy Konoplyanka he might not fit the same.

Lallana and Lambert play well together and are used to the EPL, but if we say buy Konoplyanka he might not fit the same.

Good players play good with other good players, they don't have to have played together.

Look at Coutinho, Sturridge and Suarez.

I'm not even sure you how you arrived at that conclusion.

And just what should we be going for and be prepared to pay for a 3rd/4th choice Striker in your view? Let's be clear on this. We're not talking about someone to replace/dislodge Suarez or Sturridge, we're talking about a squad player.

You think a 3rd striker in a champions league team is a squad player? oh dear.

Good players play good with other good players, they don't have to have played together.

Look at Coutinho, Sturridge and Suarez.

I'm not even sure you how you arrived at that conclusion.

Morientes, Baros, Keane, Carrol, Borini....

You think a 3rd striker in a champions league team is a squad player? oh dear.

And pray tell who you think will start EPL and CL games at striker for us?

Maybe Suarez and Sturridge?

So yes....a 3rd striker for us will be a squad player, to start in League Cup games or if one of the starters gets hurt or needs a rest.

Moritentes, Baros, Keane, Carrol, Borini...

Borini played well at Sunderland, he didn't have any history with any of those players. Carroll did ok at West Ham, again, only Stewart Downing was familiar with him there.

I'm still not sure what you are getting at.

My point is we need more players in our attack to rotate because of the extra games. If Lambert is going to be an option upfront then fine, but I don't want that to be the only new option we add this summer. If we get Lallana it is a bonus as the striking area will be sorted with players that we know gel in some way and can play in the PL.

Rickie Lambert Completes Liverpool Medical Ahead of Switch from Southampton


Rickie Lambert arrives for medical

Didn't know the lad started out here as a youngster and has a liverbird tattoo on his shoulder. He will give everything he has

We are going to sign Lambert and Lallana before the WC.  Then, Lambert is going to take Rooney's place in the starting 11 as Wayne has been sh*te lately.  The starting lineup will end up being:  Hart;  Johno, Cahil, Jagielka, Baines;  Gerrard, Hendo, Lallana, Sterling;  Studge, Lambert

We will have 7 of the 11 starters in the England national team and Lallana will assist Lambert for the goal that wins the WC!! 

Has he signed already?

Has he signed already?

Monday mate

You think a 3rd striker in a champions league team is a squad player? oh dear.

Don't side step the question because that is precisely what Lambert is - a squad player - because short of a miracle of Moses' proportions, he's not dislodging Suarez or Sturridge as part of the first choice partnership. He'll play as an alternative to them, either in cup games or as a substitute. So I ask you again, just how much would you pay for someone like that?

We are going to sign Lambert and Lallana before the WC.  Then, Lambert is going to take Rooney's place in the starting 11 as Wayne has been sh*te lately.  The starting lineup will end up being:  Hart;  Johno, Cahil, Jagielka, Baines;  Gerrard, Hendo, Lallana, Sterling;  Studge, Lambert

We will have 7 of the 11 starters in the England national team and Lallana will assist Lambert for the goal that wins the WC!! 

Johno? Really?

 

Johno? Really?

 

Of all the nonsense and silly assumptions in that post, and you pick Johno being in the starting 11 for England as the biggest question mark

Jokes aside, I am excited for Slick Rick to be playing for LFC!!

Two not that obvious things on the Lambert transfer, and apologies if they've been posted before but I can't be trawling through nine pages.


Firstly, the move makes a lot of sense not just from a "playing in the team" perspective. Almost every time we come up against a big target man these days we are found wanting, and our defenders have a "WTF is this? I've never come across this type of opponent before" look about them. The reality is of course that they haven't, not in training anyway, because we haven't got one. The nearest thing we have to a target man is Iago Aspas, so the acquisition of Lambert will significantly improve our capacity to practice defending set-pieces and crosses against a proper header of the ball. It ought to help the likes of Sakho, Mignolet and co no end to come up against Ricky Lambert at Melwood every day.

Secondly, my guess is that it's Brendans idea in a perfect World to not just have him as an "alternative", but to bring on Ricky on late in games when we're in front and need a bit of presence to hold the ball up top. It's hard to find fault in this philosophy (as of course it's hard not to see that in certain games an alternative approach to Sturridge/Suarez may well be needed). Another bi-product though of Lambert coming on late on in games is it will give us a huge profile defensively from set pieces. Ricky is a fine header of the ball and as strong as an ox, my guess is he'll save us at least half as many goals as he'll score.

All in all I'm hugely in favour of what appears to be a very sensible move. 

Right, so Agger, Skrtel and Johnson have never come across a big guy in all their time at the club, and didn't train and play alongside crouch (6'7"), Carroll (6'4") and even Torres another 6 footer who can put himself about.
We can assume then from the above comment that Sakho wanders around the pitch overawed by these giants he's never seen before (although he did perfectly well against them until he got injured) and that the rest of the team were raised by snow white and seven dwarfs.

Jesus F***ing wept.   

Right, so Agger, Skrtel and Johnson have never come across a big guy in all their time at the club, and didn't train and play alongside crouch (6'7"), Carroll (6'4") and even Torres another 6 footer who can put himself about.
We can assume then from the above comment that Sakho wanders around the pitch overawed by these giants he's never seen before (although he did perfectly well against them until he got injured) and that the rest of the team were raised by snow white and seven dwarfs.

Jesus f**king wept.   

True.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone scored more headers than Skrtel in the PL last season, so it's clear he can be a target man from set pieces.

To be honest, I'm not sure our problems came from a lack of strength or aerial ability from the CB's. It was a combination of being exposed to counter attacks too often and a lack of quality from the full-backs (mostly Johnson).

Two not that obvious things on the Lambert transfer, and apologies if they've been posted before but I can't be trawling through nine pages.


Firstly, the move makes a lot of sense not just from a "playing in the team" perspective. Almost every time we come up against a big target man these days we are found wanting, and our defenders have a "WTF is this? I've never come across this type of opponent before" look about them. The reality is of course that they haven't, not in training anyway, because we haven't got one. The nearest thing we have to a target man is Iago Aspas, so the acquisition of Lambert will significantly improve our capacity to practice defending set-pieces and crosses against a proper header of the ball. It ought to help the likes of Sakho, Mignolet and co no end to come up against Ricky Lambert at Melwood every day.

Secondly, my guess is that it's Brendans idea in a perfect World to not just have him as an "alternative", but to bring on Ricky on late in games when we're in front and need a bit of presence to hold the ball up top. It's hard to find fault in this philosophy (as of course it's hard not to see that in certain games an alternative approach to Sturridge/Suarez may well be needed). Another bi-product though of Lambert coming on late on in games is it will give us a huge profile defensively from set pieces. Ricky is a fine header of the ball and as strong as an ox, my guess is he'll save us at least half as many goals as he'll score.

All in all I'm hugely in favour of what appears to be a very sensible move. 

Welcome back Mick.

Ricky is a fine header of the ball and as strong as an ox, my guess is he'll save us at least half as many goals as he'll score.

I think he only scored one goal with his head last season. Seems to get most of his goals from penalties, direct freekicks and typical striker goals rather than headers. Not so sure he will get the chance to take many penalties or freekicks with us.

 I think like Peter Crouch he has more footballing ability than is usual in a target man. I think he will help defensively at corners as Carroll did, but maybe not as dominant in the air as Carroll was when we are attacking? 

 

True.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone scored more headers than Skrtel in the PL last season, so it's clear he can be a target man from set pieces.

To be honest, I'm not sure our problems came from a lack of strength or aerial ability from the CB's. It was a combination of being exposed to counter attacks too often and a lack of quality from the full-backs (mostly Johnson).

I think the system changes over the last few years haven't helped either.
The team at set pieces has gone from zonal, to man to man, from there man to man and zonal mixed, and now a bit of both again but with a different emphasis.
I think it's also a lack of concentration and a lack of leadership at defensive set pieces.

True.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone scored more headers than Skrtel in the PL last season, so it's clear he can be a target man from set pieces.

To be honest, I'm not sure our problems came from a lack of strength or aerial ability from the CB's. It was a combination of being exposed to counter attacks too often and a lack of quality from the full-backs (mostly Johnson).

I think your point about the fullbacks being more of a weakness than the centre backs per se is absolutely a sound one mate, I agree with that myself. That's why I've advocated the signing of Cole amongst others, and FWIW I also agree with your point about the counter attacks. It was interesting that while Hodgson made noises about aping our style, he was reluctant to leave us with only one holder and play with two up top as we do.

I do think however the point about being able to work with and against big target men in training is a fair one. I also note from the post from the poster that you've quoted that he's neither changed his posting style nor his appreciation of the game and how it works at the highest level. I wasn't suggesting that LITERALLY these defenders had NEVER played against a target man before, because obviously that would be a silly statement. What I WAS suggesting however was that for the likes of Sakho and Skrtel and Mignolet to be coming up exclusively against Suarez, Sturridge and Aspas in training before playing against Lukaku, Bony, Carroll etc etc wasn't necessarily the best preparation. Not only obviously in the various playing styles of those individual players, but also in the way the teams they are playing for would seek to utilise their talents.

To put it another way I've a hunch that before we play the likes of West Ham next season, the boss will have us defending throws, free kicks and diagonals to Rickie Lambert most of the week. Having such a player an "option" is obviously beneficial, but having him around the place during the week will be beneficial too. The final point about Lamberts presence when defending set pieces will also hold good I'm sure.   

Good move by the reds rickie wants to come here. He is the consummate professional, he can score and he seems pretty durable. Usually gives 100. should be able to get a couple of good years out of him.