Hope not. He could be good enough for us. Wouldn't be worth cashing in on a few mill that wouldn't get us anything else half decent on the market. You'd have guessed Derby are main suitors too so he wouldn't have had to be recalled
Biggest statement so far that no one else is coming in this transfer window imo. I know he is cup tied for the domestic cups but we are still in four competitions and Rodgers needs the extra bodies if we are going to make a fist of competing in all of them. I think we will see a reserves/youth side sent out in the Europa League along with a few guys who need game time. Full strength will play in the rest of the league cup and league. One or two introduced in the FA cup.
I was thinking the same myself. I can't really see anybody coming in during this window apart from the return of Ibe & Origi. Such was our eagerness to spend a fortune in the summer we've probably not got much in the budget anyway.
If he uses the Europa League to play the reserves, it's a bit of a **** you to the people who travel around Europe to watch them play. Similar to what happened in Madrid but this'd be worse. He spent 117million buying us a squad to compete in 4 competitions. If he starts playing reserves then his transfer dealings will need to be looked at as well as his position at the club.
The kid looks ready, similar to Sterling a couple of seasons ago. Exciting player, can definitely bring something fresh to our attack. Agree with the lads, its disappointing he's now cup tied
I disagree, even with the money spent you cannot play your first team in every match of all competitions. That is what a squad is for. The last time we played in the Europa League I really enjoyed watching some of the younger players and fringe players throw their hat in the ring for places. There were some interesting games. If the youngsters only get to play in the reserves they will never develop. And if the club is to be successful, we need to really bring some more players through the ranks because we cannot buy the top stars. We have a lot of young exciting players, give them a chance.
Just thinking about the cup tied issue, Derby played in the Fa cup just a couple of weeks ago against a conference team. They didn't exactly need him and I'm sure there would have been no objections from them if we asked not to play him, if anything it would have been fair to them to let them know there is a strong possibility he will be recalled. Where is the planning at our club, did we just decide yesterday or is there any thought process at all? Unless we have plans to send him elsewhere then that is just daft.
I'm sure Rodgers mentioned a couple of weeks back that Ibe was been considered been recalled and how well he was playing . Rodgers could be targeting the Europa cup as our main target as our best chance of champions league football with Stats saying we have about 5% chance of top 4. Ibe needs regular football as if you have watched him with Derby it's obvious his final ball needs work as does his football brain ( only young to be fair ). Has all the tools pace strength and talent just needs experience
I think we should be targeting the Europa. Like you said it's a path way to Champions League football and a decent run in it would also improve our coefficient
I just don't see it been taken lightly and as some think give the fringe and youth players a run out We have a very tough draw with Besiktas Arsenal just won 1-0 over 2 legs for CL qualification Beat spurs over 2 legs last round of Europa cup (grp)
TBH I think that would be a pretty arrogant attitude to take from a club. He was there on loan, we probably had the right to recall in january but you cannot dictate what games he can and can't play while he is there in case we decide to recall him later.
If we are successful in the second half of the season with the league, league cup, FA Cup and Europa League then we will pretty much have two games a week for the rest of the season. Rotating your squad is the only way to achieve this. You cannot play the same 15 odd players twice a week for four months. That is not squad or player management. I have no doubt Rodgers will be slaughtered the first time he doesn't play a "full strength" side in any competition but I don't think that is realistic. We all go on about big clubs stock piling young players who never reach their potential because they won't play them and they never develop, we can't criticise not playing the first team side week in week out in the same breath.
Interesting to see how Rodgers deals with all 4 competitions , has a lot on his plate . Think Ibe and Origi best left where they are Ibe getting plenty of game time and don't want to give transfer funds that could be used in the summer to Lille But think Rodgers wants numbers in with all 4 competitions .
No question there is talent in there, also add he is suited to the 3 behind a striker system we have been playing. Agree with previous posters, lots of talent but no experience - but getting the game time at Derby which is much needed - so why bring him back to sit on our bench? Do you play him just off a striker? If so, he doesnt start ahead of Lallana, Coutinho, Sterling for me. Do you play him up top? He doesnt start ahead of Sturridge or get in ahead of two international strikers on the bench, be it they are not playing to their full ability. The little Ive seen of him at Derby, mainly on The Championship MOTD which is highlights, where he is not setting the world a light but is playing on the better side of OK - I dont see him coming back as anything other than filling a number in the squad for the moment. Maybe as a replacement for Borini, who I fully expect to be shown the door - or to fill in for a player who might be shown the door that we wouldnt expect? Player with talent and glad he is on our books, but not sure his time is now, better served playing regularly. Do we need English registered players for the Uefa Cup?
I'm not saying first team plays in every game. Brendan said money was used to build a squad and not splashed on 1 star player as we wouldn't be able to compete on 4 fronts that way. Which is fine. But if he's to play reserves (they are different to squad players) then he's failed miserably in his attempt to build us a squad. Look at Chelsea going strong in 4 comps, they rotate and have a squad of around 20 players. We have no 2nd choice keeper, we have 1 spare Centre back, we have 1 spare LB & RB, we have 1 spare DM/CM who is Allen, we have zero forwards and we have 1 spare luxury player who will be Lallana/Markovic/Coutinho depending on who plays and then we have a utility player in Can and the useless lads of Lovren, Lambert, Borini & Mario That to me is not a squad, and entering a season with he squad we have and trying to compete on 4 fronts was always doomed for failure unless you we're going to write 1 or 2 of them off. Our reserves are the likes of Rossiter, Williams, Ojo and the rest of the U21's. If anyone can show me how we're a better team and/or squad than last season, then I'll show you a liar. I'd have fancied my chances far more with the squad we ended last season with than the one we have now that's for sure.
Personally I think we have a better squad of players but the first 11 isn't as good as last season if that makes sense . I'd rather have a quality first 11 and then build from there than what we did and bring in 9 players . And just trust what we have at the club and build with 2/3 quality signings each year .
Last season for me, by some distance. In fact I'd get rid of every player we signed and that's no judgement on them bar the donkey of a CB and lazy prick of a striker if we could have Suarez back, even if it only was from October. It really surprised me how ordinary we were without him, saying that we've seen some promise recently from signings, but had we kept Suarez we'd be top 4 and in next round of CL, and I'd say that with 100% confidence, ban and all.
I'm in full agreement Richie. Plus we'd still have Jordan Ibe in the squad (that should get us on topic )
If we're having a conversation about our first 11's drop off in performances I think it would make sense not to leave out the fact that the player technically responsible for more points than any other player last season(Sturridge),has missed the whole season.I know he has injury history but he spent 1 and a half seasons with us before this one and has given us between 11 and 12 league goals in each of those 3 half seasons and even close to a similar return in the first half of this season would have us comfortably top 4 aswell.But we'd probably all pick a squad with Suarez in it but he was leaving and the manager could do nothing about that so for another exercise take last seasons squad and replace Suarez with a any player you think we could conceivably get. Now match it up to this seasons squad and all the potential that goes with it. Who would you pick now and I don't say that smugly because I know there's some who'll say Alexei Sanchez and pick last seasons squad still and that's fair enough,even if imo it's short sighted. But it's an interesting debate so let's add a bit of context to it rather than have just a veiled,one sided manager bashing. Rodgers won't be putting out the reserves in the Europa league by the way.