This sums up attitude pretty well

Virtually nobody has been in good form.

Player of the season so far is more like best of a shocking bunch.

14 players have made 10 or more appearances in all comps, who the hell would be best player out of this lot?

Johnson
Lovren
Gerrard
Lambert
Mig
Skrtel
Manquillo
Moreno
Lallana
Allen
Balo
Hendo
Sterling
Coutinho

I can't pick a single one who deserves player of the season.



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Good post. This is the stark reality of our predicament really.

My top 5 will be:
1) Sterling (Not in great form but our only real attacking threat)
2) Moreno (made errors, but has shown that he can be a good player for us)
3) Hendo (in poor form relative to last season, but has added something further up the pitch in terms of movement in last weeks games)
4)Lamber ( two in two in big games)
5) Toure (hardly played, but his enthusiasm and experience may have helped the players around him)

Bottom 5:

1) Balo (Just awful on the pitch, and probably little better off it)
2) Lovren ( Our new "leader" needs to grow some stones)
3) Skrtel (erratic and makes other players nervous)
4) Mignolet - Again nervy and erratic. Has had some decent games, but needs to improve a lot.
5) Gerrard ( Still has a lot to offer, but his game time needs to be managed better. May have been deeply effected by the turmoil's of last seasons end and the following WC).

Following on from my point about Gerrard. If his contract gets sorted and the manager feels that he has been effected by last seasons events (which what we know of our captains personality is entirely feasible), then I hope he says, you're not playing for a couple of weeks, rest up, get your head together and come back and show everybody you can still cut it.

Gerrard looks jaded. A lot seem ready to write him off, but to me he looks like a player who is struggling mentally as well as nursing himself through games for 90 minutes. I really wouldn't be too surprised if we find our in the not too distant future that Gerrard has picked up a little injury....

Personally I think Manquillo is a cut above Flanagan and Wisdom, I'd definitely take him on a permanent basis if possible, and I'd probably sign another more adventurous RB to to compete with him.

I'd keep Flanagan as a backup and sell Wisdom. They're similar enough in that they're both full-backs that are in the "solid" mould rather than flying forward like Moreno, but I think Flanagan is far more ball-literate. I also think he's more versatile because he can play at left-back. You could argue that Wisdom can play at CB, but he's barely done that at senior level unless I've missed something.

I think Wisdom's career path will mirror Martin Kelly's really, he's been ear-marked as a CB but it hasn't happened for him and he'll end up primarily as a RB elsewhere. I certainly can't see Liverpool taking a punt on him adapting to CB at his age.

I always thought Wisdom would develop into a decent CB, but most managers always play him as a right back, where I thbk Flanno and potentially Mclaughlan are better prospects.

Flanagan shocked me last season. I always perceived as a committed no no-nonsense fullback, but his passing and awareness of space was very good allied to his natural willingness to defend.

I'm just not sure whether he was on fire and need to ne convinced he cam maintain that performance level, but the lad is at least hungry and plays with some passion and desire. All of which have been lacking at times in our porous defence.

Agreed PPD. Flanno reminds me a lot of Carragher - left to his own devices, Carragher would get rid of the ball up the pitch, but under Rodgers and at times under Rafa, he showed that he was willing to pass it out from the back if that was the instruction. His pass percentage was through the roof under Rodgers.

Flanno was a huge breath of fresh air when he came in last season, because one thing he isn't is ponderous. He's fearless and isn't afraid to commit to a challenge or to winning a header, and it was refreshing last year because our defence is quite hesitant. I think he's vulnerable when one-on-one with tricky wingers, but you can compensate for that by getting the likes of Sterling or Henderson to come back and help him.

He's the sort of player who you'd have no qualms about throwing in when your regular full-back gets injured. He just has that sort of Carra-esque self-assuredness, where he'd say "The manager wants me to come in, be solid, stay in position, but pass it forward into midfield" and he won't be daunted by it.

I am beginning to wonder about Gerrard's contract.

It seems to be dragging on a bit.

I wonder whether he doesn't fancy being more of a bit part player and will go somewhere to play every game like the US, or try his luck at a big club on the continent for a change of scene.

Think Gerrard wants two years and we are only offering a 1 year rolling contract.

comment by Paulie Walnuts (U13441)
posted 2 hours, 3 minutes ago

Agreed PPD. Flanno reminds me a lot of Carragher - left to his own devices, Carragher would get rid of the ball up the pitch, but under Rodgers and at times under Rafa, he showed that he was willing to pass it out from the back if that was the instruction. His pass percentage was through the roof under Rodgers.

Flanno was a huge breath of fresh air when he came in last season, because one thing he isn't is ponderous. He's fearless and isn't afraid to commit to a challenge or to winning a header, and it was refreshing last year because our defence is quite hesitant. I think he's vulnerable when one-on-one with tricky wingers, but you can compensate for that by getting the likes of Sterling or Henderson to come back and help him.

He's the sort of player who you'd have no qualms about throwing in when your regular full-back gets injured. He just has that sort of Carra-esque self-assuredness, where he'd say "The manager wants me to come in, be solid, stay in position, but pass it forward into midfield" and he won't be daunted by it.


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I see Wisdom more like Carragher. Both had great U22 careers with England but at club level used as utility players filling holes in the full back positions and in Carragher's case defensive midfield, which I've also seen Wisdom doing for the reserves/youth team. Think both were captains too.

Managers are afraid to play young players at centre back as you will get mistakes due to inexperience, look at Mangala at City, Chambers at Arsenal etc. However I still believe Wisdom will make it for us and the Kelly comparisons are unfair as his career stalled due to injury.

What's up with Flanno? Still out injured?

Still out for a while, hopefully may see him back in the squad early to mid January. Maybe later.