KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum The thing thats bugging me is...

...Granted we need a new left back but the one position that we clearly need to fill is the wide gaping hole left by Xabi Alonso that screwed us up last season. Chances are Mascherano will leave so we'll then need 2 central midfield positions filling, 1 for a combative defensive midfielder who wil scrap for the ball and the other for a visionary passer of the ball who will dictate the tempo a la Xabi.

Now these are who I'll be happy with (I think!?).

1. Defensive midfielder - Lee cattermole
2. Midfield Dictator - Steven Defour

Just my opinion kopites, cut me to shreds if you will or better still share your opinion.

Xabi is a one of a kind player. He could tackle but his main weapons were vision, passing ability and dictating the tempo of the game.

the only other players that can come close to him is Essien and Xavi although that Ghanian dude - Annan - looked quite tidy. Martinez from Bilboa is worth a shout too

Id swap any player in the squad for Alonso. We miss him and he cant be replaced. If Riera and Benny are to beleived, and i beleive, then its Rafa's poor man management that caused him to leave. In the same way Aqua and Lucas could surprise us under Roy. I get the impression he knows how to get the best out of players. And there have been glimpses of talent in both.

I don't think we can ever underestimate how good Xabi was for us. It really is beggars belief what Rafa was thinking in trying to engineer a move for Gareth Barry and ship Xabi out at the same time. I know there's this quota for British players thats needed but for the sake of one of the best players in the world and I sincerely believe that is madness!

I'm as optimistic as many are that Roy can bring the best of our underperformers but there's a lot of 'blind optimism' there and I can't see anyone in our squad other than Stevie who can perform the job Xabi did and I'm sure Stevie wouldn't want to revert to that position or rather its been obvious in recent years he's more effective in an advanced attacking role.

what about

Maestro: Stevie G
Combative: Cattermole

Joe Cole behind Torres, Jovo left, Turan right ?

I think Aquilani will come good alongside gerrard, emp you say hes not good enough. when did we see him play a full game under rafa? I think we shouldn't just judge what we saw based on 15 minute appearances and give him more of a chance to impress. That leaves the DM role to be filled with the players you mentioned. An english one would be good too.

Aquilani if he stay's fit could be a fantastic player, he didn't just get poor overnight. Like Babel, he needs a run of games and a manager who actually believes in his ability and trusts him to win games.

At the same time, Alonso was pretty much my favorite player to don a red shirt within my lifetime supporting the club and watching him making that spain team tick all summer just shows what ridiculous decision it was to try and push him out the door for the sake of an overpriced Gareth Barry. Banega and Javi Martinez are both players I like the look of and could go some way to filling the void Alonso left us with... if Aqua doesn't come to life.

Sorry, but firstly as much as I loved Alonso and think his ability to slow it down and pick out a pass is a difficult to find talent. But lets not forget he finished on his biggest high after 2 seasons of not being close to that level. Having said that, replacing people like Alonso and Masch with Cattermole and Defour? That is consolidating a Europa league place, not getting back to where LFC should be. Those tipping Cattermole are victims of the widespread disease that causes people to drastically over rate English players. I could name 4 or 5 defensive mids with more potential and talent than Lee just off the top of my head. I know home grown talent is of increasing importance, but it should not be prioritized over building a squad of top 4 players. Cattermole wouldn't get into kitchen of Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs right now, so why should we replace one of our few genuinely world class players with him?

scott parker for me all day long to fill maschs' position. I would have joe cole behind torres with gerrard playing that 'alonso' role. I want lucas out and he should never be allowed to even buy a liverpool shirt at sports direct.

As for aqualani, he will come good. I am sure of that! RH will get the best out of babel and aqua, and the rest of the players that rafa had no faith in.

If it was me, I would have cole behind torres, babel on the left (he needs games) gerrard and aqua in middle with a new signing on the right (SWP for me).

Now please, rip me apart fellow reds!

im always fascinated how aquilanni managed to convince people he was any good. i think his price tag and all the hype that raffa generated created a illusion. he has done nothing to suggest he will actually contribute. a few flicks here and there, and some promising videos from italian football, which lets face it, is about as fast as subbuteo.(why is it called that?)

babel is fckin idiot.he might be able to run fast, and occassionally hit a hard shot (your bound to get it right at least 2 out of 50 attempts), but his attitude is utterly appaulling. you wouldnt put up with it in amateur league, never mind pay someone thousands for the same. he also cant get past anyone. he has no vision, its all a gamble when he takes players on.

i agree about lucas. terrible, and you might be right about cole, not sure how thats all going to fit together though.