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In fact, we've got two weeks to get Alan, Sturg, and Emily Chan fit before we start again. So things are looking up. Tonight, we revamp our format primarily because we can't be hours to do more than one pod per week. We'll revisit the week that was and look at the teams that connected the two games to our sum. We'll discuss the standard performers and we'll assess what we've learned. In the week of yet another stupid bloody international break, we have more trippers chats suggested by you are lovely listeners, reflecting the burning topics on Red's mind. So joining me tonight in the bunker for lots of happy talking, talking, happy talk are Alco Tramp, drinking buddy Neil Gray, pub portrait photographer Steven Daly, scout songsmith Ray Brady and founder of the John Glenson Fan for Life Club, Phil Casey, and we'll also be joined on the line by returning guest Jay Riley. Okay, our new signings have been a mixed bag chaps, and two in particular have made the headlines this week. I'll start by discussing the money you've forgotten. The shorts, stretching the exciting Adam L'Alanna in the midst of some very incessant. You should see that in the midst of some very incessant griping about transfer strategy. Just like he seems to have been a bit of a vindication of Roger's eye for a player. Does he not? Steve Daly. Yeah. Last two games. Absolutely. I think he's had an excellent impact. It was great to see him get a gold the other day because I think with any new player coming in, just bagging a gold early in the season, gives you that little bit of confidence, takes the weight off your shoulders. And yeah, I did slay him. I'm not going to lie. I gave out about the price that we paid, I'm also gave out about the price that we paid from them, slayed in the bloke. But with Coutinho going off the boil, he is that link player that I think we need. Sterling's not had the greatest few games in the last few weeks as well, and you can't expect everything to come through him. So it's great that Lallana has stepped up and has been able to make an impact. And I thought he was excellent on Saturday. That's a very good point there. And also interesting that Steve will mention Coutinho, Neil, because he's been kind of out Coutinho and Coutinho, as in a lovely touch on the ball, very calm and possession. Yeah. Well, he's obviously a very good player, and I could never understand that consternation before he signed to say that he wasn't going to live up to the market. If you think back, he was shortlisted in the top six players in the player of the year last season. So I think he scored 10 goals last season, which maybe isn't a great return, but if you think of the combination with him in Lambert, it was a really good return on 25 million for him. I think it was a lot of money, but I think he's worth every penny. So I was never in any doubt that he was going to perform a perform very well. He's kind of vindicated me more than that, because I've been backing him since the day he signed on. I'm not surprised. Honestly, I'm not surprised. I'm happy feeling he's vindicated you more than Rogers. Yeah. I don't really care. We're still not. We're still not. We're still not. We're saying he's a round peg and a round paul. I'm changing later on for that one. What do you mean some of this is pre-recorded? No. No. I didn't say that. Ray, talk me through the beautiful skill for the goal, that little drive back and everything. It was magic. It was absolutely magic totally self-made. I'm still struggling to find, but I don't know what 40 is, what 40 is, what 40, Jenny, Jenny Windy, I haven't a clue. Is he left out of our way? Only 40. He and me 40. Yeah. Absolutely unbelievable. The fourth flick to start with to get a little, his run and a man, and then a nice bit of scale to be the next man, lay off, back into the box and left out sharp berries, absolutely brilliant. Super goal. Super goal. Absolutely, Phil. Are you excited? Yeah. Look, you've got a, you've got a beard back. Yeah. Probably. It seemed to get his paraback. Yeah. That is paraback with the beard back. I do, I do, like, look at him and at times and they're going, because he just doesn't look like he has the strength. But fair play to him. He's getting up and down the park. You know, he's knocking players around. He's able to shield the bar well. He's doing all the things you want in attacking midfielders to do. He's playing sort of on the left-hand side, which is, you know, we taught, everyone taught beforehand, saying, "Oh, look, he's best as a 10" or whatever, and I probably had his best game against Wes Brahman coming in off the left-hand side. And it's something that we talked about before. In that system, he was, he was getting into the box. He was attacking from the left wing in. He wasn't hanging at wood and it gave Moreno the space to operate down the left channel. It just opens up the channel for Moreno to get into. So, you know, that's, that's really encouraging. And as, as, as Davos said, look, we're continuing a bit of our form. Sterling's a bit of our form as well. Look, Sterling can't, can't seem to find his own players with the ball at the moment. He's stood up to the mark. He himself, on Henderson, the last two games, the, the Marisite Derby and this one, we've been, everyone's been saying, well, you know, it was Hendo from under match or maybe it was in Atlanta. It's, it's been neck and neck between him and both of them putting excellent performances in those two games. And going back to the, the, the Champions League match where we didn't perform, he comes on for 20 minutes and he was a big difference when he came on. That was the, that was the moment we actually looked like we might get a go back and we created everything that went on. So, fair play to him. He stepped in. He, you know, he, he, he, he, of all the players, he's taken his price tag and just ignored it and just, just delivered it on his performance. He's done what you want from a player that's cost that amount of money. Yeah. And that's come in and not worry about, you know, what they cost. Yeah. Yeah. There's no baggage for him. There's no baggage with him. That's what it says on the team. The English premium that you're supposedly paying for of, of getting a player that knows what to do straight away from the off and now betting him. And he's doing it now. And you know what? He's doing it. The other thing is he puts a run of seven, eight, nine games like this, right, and has a dip in form, which is natural for players to have. The likes of Catina will be coming back into form at that point and straight away, nobody's going to be talking about the £24 million price tag at the end of the season, but we've forgotten about it. It's the perfect thing. The Ferguson used to be bringing that, getting that 10 games, 12 games out with somebody and then they dropped out and somebody else came in and they got their. He's a senior player now, isn't he? All of a sudden. Yeah. I mean, that's, I mean, that's what they paid the money for. And that's why I'm not surprised because they paid for a senior player and that's what we got. I mean, he now has a song as well. I was told me. I was very famous. So I know. When you're critical about nature. Well, no, yeah. No, I think I'm a positive person with nature. No, but I think. I don't think so. I think... What do you think it's supposed to be? No, but like, I'm fairness, right? And the criticism was valid. You were looking at a guy who's 26, 27, right? We're paying an awful lot of money for him, right? Even though he has said like he scored 9, 10 goals last season, you're saying to yourself, right, we're trying to replace a guy who scored 30 goals with some and had 25 assists. You know what I mean? And you're saying to yourself, is he going to bring it? Now, the one thing I, what I liked about him and what I think he does, what he'll do well in the Premier League is he runs up players. And players in the Premier League don't like players running at them. And you can see that when he gets in the bar, he runs, defenders don't know what to do. You're having a clue about where he's going? No. That's it. When the hands... He gets beyond the forward as well. A massive difference. That's what I'm saying. That's a massive difference from what I've seen from the game of the weekend. I mean, he was in the box on his own head of Lambert, or a ballot anywhere in the case. I'm fucking married. But... I taught you when critical. But like, you know, it's bringing something and we need that because, you know, when you look back to the Champions League game, there was that lack of air in our attacking play, right? You compare him to another 20 million players in Maricovitch, and you're not seeing the same return from him in terms of performance was, and I'm not going to have Maricovitch because I did before, and I've stood up for it, and I've said it, and I've said it to other people when they've said it online and put it to me. Well, I'm going to be honest, I'd rather talk about him because he is delivering, and we want to talk about the players that are delivering because they're the ones that are going to bring us through the next three, four games and get the points on the board. And you know, if he's able to come on a Champions League game against the likes of Ball, where you need a performance to come on, he's shown what he's going to be capable of in the next round of games for the Champions League matches, and he'll be a bit of an unknown quantity for the teams that, like, for Real Madrid. They're not going to... I don't know, it's not going to be featured on their radar when they come to look at danger players for Liverpool. It's going to be Sterling. It's going to be storage. It's going to be Gerard. It's going to be Ballotelli. And now they have something else that they're going to have to look at when they go to analyse what we're going to do. I was lovely seeing him enjoy scoring so much as well. Right, you... He had a big vein trouble in his neck. Yeah. Yeah. I just let that one sit. He wasn't... We needed that. We needed those points. It doesn't really matter how we achieved them. And I don't think Annie was too comfortable. It wasn't enjoyable to watch, let's be honest, that much. But we needed that one. Yeah, that's all it was about. It's just... The World Crisis was starting to get bandied around. Yeah. And... Yeah. So it's... Three points was void. The first 10 minutes we actually talked, we were... We looked like we were playing at that bit of pace that's been lacking out of the team. And then it just dulled down a bit, the atmosphere at Anfield. Like a church again. Very, very quiet. And you were expecting things. So from that point onwards, I went away from Tinkin hoping that we were going to hammer the mint to get three points. Doesn't matter how if it goes in or if someone's arched or for free kick, I don't care three points. So job done. Job done. Go away for the break and tails up. Any confidence. It's fair to say that this break is now more of almost like a godsend than... Yeah. Because it gives us a chance to get Chan back, to get Alan back, to have storage in decent neck. This is regroup and time, most definitely, and get the boys back. Like you say, Alan and storage, predominantly guards who knew we'd miss Jo Alan as much as we have. But yeah, this is it now, three points in the bag, a slow bit of confidence and get the new lads back in and start walking on a system. I'm more than the one in a row. Yeah. One in a row. It's better than none in a row, isn't it? Yeah. Many times in the last 12 months, I think we've been regretting the fact that there was an international break coming along. Yeah. And now we're in a situation where by, we're saying it is the perfect time for us just to get that three points and just say, "Right, okay, let's settle everything down. Let's get our shit together now and regroup." And I think we're talking about the different things. I think we only saw a bit of them during preseason, but I think every Chan will be a massive addition to that midfield. We're talking about how we miss Joellen. I genuinely don't see that. Don't see the need. I think we're missing the Catino of last season more than we're missing Joellen. Let's be honest with you. That's actually what I feel. I think we still had Catino, Hando, and... Stirling plaintiffs. Well, no Jared, Hando, and Catino, because it was storage, Stirling, and Suarez in the top three, who Catino dropping in. I just mean in terms of form. Oh, yeah, sorry. Yeah, but I just mean in that middle three, I don't think. I think we miss our player there, not necessarily Joellen. We miss our player with legs, with the ability to get in around. Player with legs. Yeah. And listen, it's still... Pretty requisite. Yeah. When you're sewing a player, you should always go for the players with legs. Absolutely. Their slugs never made. Except horrible. Fucking terrible. I'm trying to take a load of snails on me because I know there's a load of snails on me. I'm trying to take a load of snails on me because I know there's a load of snails on me. I know there's a load of snails on me because I know there's a load of snails on me because I know there's a load of snails on me because I know there's a load of snails on me. He was a snail. He was a snail. He was a snail, but a gout. He was a posh load. A posh load, he was a tear-and-snail. Yeah. Oh, man. What? Steve, I was actually going to ask you about something soundly sensible and... I want this on this part. Yeah. Yeah. I want to draw the conversation back to Ballotelli. Yeah. Look, after a chap is in struggles, we had him being called no clapotelli here by some smart bollocks on my left, then he gets benched against West Brom. What did you make of his response to being benched when he came on and how did you think he looked and was there any kind of sign that he was responding? No. Not really. You didn't think so. No, I didn't think huge amount. I think what you get, you know, what you see is what you get with Mario Ballotelli and benching him, finding him, it doesn't matter to him. I just, unfortunately, don't think that that's the way to approach an issue with him. I don't know what is the way to approach an issue with him, but he's just one of those well as that. Doesn't respond. I can imagine him when he was fucking eight, you know what I mean? I'm getting... He'd given out to in school for enough, you know, doing his maths homework, and I'm sitting there not giving a fuck, standing in the corner. I still don't give a fuck, and I'm not doing my maths homework tonight. You know, whatever it may be, I just... That's his demeanor. That's his way of being. I do think we'll see a lot more from him when storage is back. Yeah. And that's when we benefit from him as a player. I think that's when we can actually start to judge him, because trying to play him, it's not his fault that he can play the role that Daniel's storage plays for us and the way we're set up. But that's management's fault for not having a like for like player to come in knowing that storage is going to miss 15 games this season. So I know that's what Remy was lined up for, because he was a very similar player, but that means that Remy and Balotelli should have been bought. And if not Remy, why didn't we have a backup for Remy? You know what I mean? If Remy was our top process, why did we not have a backup for Remy? I'm not so much worried about, you know, well, I'll put it this way. I think the most interesting part of the game, came out of the game on Saturday, and would have been interesting how we done it against Ballet on the previous Wednesday, was when Brendan Rodgers finally put Stephen Gerard back into that attacking midfield role. And then Balotelli looked like he knew the balls to play to get the best out of Balotelli. All of a sudden he becomes a threat, he's playing, he knows how to spin a player on the edge of the box, and he's getting in and he's getting shots away. And it's interesting that even Brendan Rodgers recognized it and saying, look, I'll put him in there. And sometimes at Rodgers, and I know we're coming on to it next, you know, Rodgers sort of stumbled into Coutinho playing in the sentiment field last year because of injuries when we came up to play against Arsenal and Everton that time. And then all of a sudden, you know, because of, he wasn't, because the players, Sterling and Coutinho and such weren't able to get Balotelli into the game, he's forced to put Stephen Gerard into that position on the pitch. And all of a sudden, there's, you know, the light comes on and goes, hang on a second, maybe, just maybe, Stephen Gerard can offer something here. If we want to use the 4-2-3-1 system that is used primarily this season, maybe I need to put Stephen Gerard in there, and you say, yeah, you, Sterling, as my right-sided sort of, part of the tree, use Lilana, Coutinho, whoever it is, as the left-sided side, because they're going to come in and they're going to attack from the wings as we're talking, they're going to get into the box and become an auxiliary forward. And Gerard will prompt Balotelli to get the best out of him, if we're missing storage, and even with storage back, you know, I said it on the radio show which is out this week as well. You know, all of a sudden, you're thinking to yourself, Stephen Gerard and Torres, Stephen Gerard and storage in that position, it could be, you know, it could be brilliant. Like, I'm thinking, like, the season that Gary Mac had for us, you know, as he was coming towards the end of his career, there's no reason why Stephen Gerard can't do the same level of prompting from that number 10 position, because he doesn't have the responsibility to cover and cover ground as a defensive midfielder. It just becomes another string, again, back in our bow, which maybe had been forgotten about for a couple of years that Brendan didn't seem to want to go there. I think it could be an excellent option, because if teams have realised that with Gerard as the deep-lying playmaker, that if you put the pressure on him quickly, it nullifies or at least reduces the impact that he can have on a game, as was proved yet again by Aston Villa a couple of weeks ago, and everything just didn't do it. Don't know why, because Martinez plays a high-person game, but they just never did it to us and needed a West Brom with him, really. But what I'm saying is being able to bring Gerard into that position may just open up something a little bit different, whereby yet again, they don't really know how to deal with the qualities that Stephen Gerard brings to the team. And I would agree with you on that, but we can't do that with Lucas and Henderson. You can't do that for 90 minutes. No, I know what you're saying, but I'm saying it's a great option when Alan comes back or when Chan is back, and if you want to play Henderson and Chan or Henderson and Alan as that two in the 4-2-3-1, then it gives you great mobility in those two lads. And I think Henderson can, to an extent, play that screening role in that two, but with Chan there as well, being able to dictate what's going on, I think could be fast. What do you think about that idea as players are turning under more options, and we don't have to play square pegs and round holes, that we will have the option to put Stevie up in a more advanced role like Toddy was in mid-week in the champion. Well, I don't think that Gerard moving up a bit further forward, I don't think the option ever went away. It's just the fact that our current forward players are forward-advancing, attacking and fearless, just outperforming. So it's probably more of a bit of a damning indictment on the form of everybody involved, but we have to go back to the all-in-lawable Stephen Gerard to bail us out yet again. I mean, it's... He didn't bail us out on Saturday because we've already scored before it hasn't happened. Yeah, fairness. But our point or our alternate make here is now if we're ever stuck against you, we'll just take Stevie from where he is and stick him up front and he'll get some on a goal. And then you say, "Put him in beside Mario Balaselli because he knows the passes, he's the only one that can play the ball to Balaselli, I'm not having that." I don't agree with it, and I don't agree with the point of view that maybe Stephen Gerard is the only one with enough skill to pass the ball to somebody who's standing still. I mean, if Balaselli isn't gonna make himself available for a simple pass off of any one of the other midfielders, apart from Stephen Gerard, who's a fundamental, there's a deeper lying problem with Balaselli, then just answering the Balaselli question and stick in Stevie beside him. What is the problem? What is the problem with Balaselli? I think he's a flawed personality, and I think we knew that before we signed him. He hasn't, just because he signed for Liverpool, doesn't mean he's gonna turn into a world beater, and he's gonna be hogging everybody and being the best player in the league and fulfilling the potential. The potential everybody says he has, just because he has a lot of what I missed, yes. That was never gonna happen. We knew what we got. It was a panic boy. We have to accept where we are. I mean, he's a center forward. His one sole job is to score a goal at some stage. I mean, if he plays, if he has plays, crap for 89 minutes and he scores a goal in the 90th minute, out of a sudden everybody says he's had a good game, and he's not even bringing that to the team. And we're kind of, now we're giving him another excuse, now I feel like I'm hating him here, but anyway, hating on him a little as they say, and now we're giving him, I don't know who they say. Shoot them, never. But I think, and now we're giving him, has ever said that in the game. I think we're giving him another excuse now saying he's gonna get you all listened, started to be back soon, and then he'll come good. I mean, then many excuses do we need to give him? I don't think that's an excuse though. I think if you go back to the sports game and you see how well the two of them linked all the time. Exactly. He's a player. That's my role for getting here. It was 16 million. Jesus, his reputation was bigger than he was as a player. I wasn't expecting miracles. He was never a warbeater on the pitch. Like, I don't see the problem with the goal here. Well, the system we're playing, there's not many struggles we got in goals at the minute. With the way we're playing at the minute, I think everyone's being extremely harsh on him. In my opinion. I've never seen him walking as hard as he is now. Never. When any games I've ever seen him for, he's chasing back, he's running his bollocks off for the team. I'm not the fella. When I seen him playing with storage against Bors, he looked, brilliant, had a cup, cup of chan, could have had a hat trick that day. Self-created a goal there against Leo de Gretz. I'm just, he's 16, I think everyone's expecting another Luis Suarez, it was never going to be there. He's an all-roy striker, and I think we'll see much more of them when storage is back with it. I don't know what 16 million has to do with it though, Ray, because storage was a £12 million. Well, okay, well, I'm starting to focus on, and I think the fact that people are being over critical of him, as though he was some world superstar and one of the best strikers in the world, and he never was that. He was just an okay striker, and that's all he is, and I don't think he had struggled to, I don't know who you'd pick out in this, in the way I live up here while I'm playing at the minute, that you'd end up saying we'd be getting goals. But see, here's my problem. Neil said he was a panic boy. The fact that he was a panic boy is an absolute disgrace. We sold the turn best player in the world, let's call him that, and our options were to buy attacking midfielders rather than to replace a world class that's absolutely astounding striker with the striker, he didn't do it. So we were left at the end to find somebody to fill the void. Our option to replace Louis Suarez was to buy Ricky Lambert, and nothing else, and it was poor on that end. Let's talk about Ricky Lambert. No. Let's talk about Ricky Lambert. I think the thing positive is going to come from us, but we have to talk about him. I know we have to talk about him, right, but there's a level of harshism, something that Stephen said there, right, that we bought, we sold Louis Suarez and Ricky Lambert was the replacement, right? I don't, and I think fundamentally this is where our transfer strategy is a bit weird, but I think we sold, we bought Ricky Lambert as an addition to the strike force we had. Brendan Rogers has said himself that he would have liked to hold onto Louis Suarez, and I think if you have Suarez storage and you have Lambert then as a toward prong, that's fine, right? Now we've got to a position where you're right, we sell Louis Suarez, and we don't seem to have had the foresight to have the centre forward that we wanted come in, right? And I'm not, but I'm not pointing the thing, oh, you know, we knew as I got close to the end of the window, we were struggling for who we can get in and the whole lot, right? They knew back in June when the World Cup was going on that Louis Suarez was heading out the door, right? There seems to be an ongoing talk that this was happening before this and that the clubs knew because if there was a bio clause in this contract, surely the club knows if there's a bio clause in this contract and it's whatever price it's set up, that if one of the big clubs in Spain come in from and he wanted to go the previous year and they put the money down on the table, he's gone this time, but this is what I'm saying, so there should have been a plan that says, right, if Louis Suarez, who's a war class centre forward, is going out the door and we're getting X million, right, if our plan is to sign Lelana Markovic as attacking options to replace the goals and assists that we're going to miss from Louis and Louis Suarez and then bringing in another forward, that order forward should have been at the top echelon level, it should have been somebody special and I would rather have not spent the 20 million on Lazar Markovic and spent 36 million on a war class centre forward. That's me, but I've not said the forest with Fabregas as an example, that's what Anchor said. Anchor said they needed a war class and they got it. I know there's the whole thing about identifying targets and stuff like that, right, but if you've got 36 million in your pocket, right, you're going to get a top level centre forward and I still, I was Harrison Markovic last week when I was talking about, but the thing about it, I keep looking at the centre and if you put all the money that we spent the volatility of Markovic together and you spend it on one centre forward and we've already got Suso and we've got Ivy and who we've sent out on loan, I don't think what Markovic brings to the team this season and that's been fair and that's not right in the mouth round thing, right, but I think what he brings this season would outweigh what you would do if you'd signed a 30 to 25 million pound centre forward. But think about it this way, why as a club, if we were in second place and we want to take that next step to being a title winner, did we not have a top class centre forward lined up to compliment Louis Suarez and Sturridge rather than Ricky Lambert? I think we're more or less the same point, we are just too different, I'm not even arguing with you, I'm just making an observation, wasn't Sanjay is that man? No, because you know, how do you not know, how do you not know that he doesn't want to come in advance, that's poor planning, you know, but what I can't understand, if he is your primary target, if he is the player that you feel is going to be the man to replace Louis Suarez, why are you relying on Ian Eart to do the job? Let's focus on the players that we have here and I started off by talking about Ricky Lambert and the reason I wanted to bring up Ricky Lambert is I think most of us are having the same feelings as we watch him, maybe you can counteract that or maybe you've got a different opinion but you watch this kid and you want so badly from today well and you have a level of patience with him and that's mixed with incredible frustration at the complete ineffectiveness of him, is that fair? I don't want him to do any better than I want any other player. No, that's not my point, my point is... But I'm not willing him to do well, I'm just willing whoever is in that striker position to score goals, so what I mean by that is, okay, for example, it's a funny one, Markovich I want him to justify his price tag, okay, I don't give a shit if Ricky Lambert never plays another game for the club, I genuinely don't care, that's my honest opinion. I'm glad I came to you first on this, yeah, but I'm serious on that, I just don't see how he was a smart option for a club, there's no way that Man United, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, any of them were going to buy somebody of the yoke of Ricky Lambert this summer, there's no upgrade on what we had, he's no better than Aspass was, so I don't see what the point in buying him was, there was no benefit to it and it angers me because I wanted to see us progress this summer and whilst we've brought in a lot of players and some of them may turn out to be good players and I know Dave constantly believes that they will alternate to be good players and that's fair enough to him, but my point is that we should have been buying, our approach should have been for two or three that we're really going to make the difference and then supplement the squad from there. Well Ray, you first say that the struggles that maybe he's having is, as a result of, we mentioned earlier on, so the Coutinho not at the top of his game, Rahim Sterling not at the top of his game, is it a direct result of that and a lot of other things that you're not seeing the ball pinging around at Lambert's feet and him maybe getting a go, a scrappy goal here or there because the movement and Asana is effective because it's slower, because it's more methodical. Yeah, well you could go either way and you don't know whether that's slow build up players is to do it Ricky being up the top end as well, it would be the same as he would travel, I'm looking and hoping for him to do well, I don't know what it's just, you know, maybe it is the romantic story, I don't know what I'm talking about. He's the same age as the two of you. He's more talker than I'm able to be, but he found myself helping me, but I mean he just looks out of his depth, there's no two ways that he just looks out of his depth and I struggled to see the pluses and you know, we are saying bang balls into the box, see well that wolf, my quilla was crossing the ball a hell of a lot and it's just, it's not happening. He's slow after pace, we even slagged there on Twitter the other day, he was even slow getting over for the celebration, after goals he was last man, I look out of breath running over to get to me, just look, he looks like something out of the lances in your league, you know. He really looks out of place. Yeah, it's not going as well at the minute. Neal, talk to me about, about Phil Keatingo and about Raheem Sterling and how quickly you think things are going to turn around for the two of them because we do need it to happen for at least one? Well, it's taking staring for us, I suppose, I know what to put any excuse for a young lad, a teenager, but he still has that, he still is only 19 and he's going to have peaks and troughs. He's played an awful lot of football, he's all of a sudden for his national team, England, he seems to be the main man, he's the main man at Liverpool now as well, it's a lot of way to carry on young shoulders I would have said, so he was bound to have a little dip in form, I'm not overly concerned by it, he'll come back, he'll come back to form, but maybe he needs a little spell out of the team, maybe I suppose might help him, I don't know what the answer is, I don't know how soon he's going to return to form, but he certainly will return to form because he has all the credentials, so it's not really a worry and continue. Again, I don't know, he seems to, I think he's just the type of footballer that plays in sports for one of a better time, he seems to, he's always seems to be very good at the beginning of a game and then drifts off and then he's good at the beginning of the second half and drifts off again, he comes in and out again, but at the same time he's trying to play the part, he's the man who's trying to play the killer pass all the time, so he's going to lose possession more than the other midfielders and getting back to battle tell you again, it's very difficult when there's no movement in front of him. Yeah, yeah, it's all about the sports, isn't it? Well, there's just one of them without playing in sports or playing in sports. I don't know, I would stay well. I just know I can hear my name. After the Lana scored his goals, you have to do it. Steve O, one more topic I want to chat about. Can I just say just under two lads? Oh, please, Steve, I'm not in the slightest bit worrying about either of them. I think with Sterling, a goal is all it will take, it will just take him, skip him by a fallback, stick him one in, and all of a sudden the zip will come back in. It's silly little stuff, that zip will come back in. It's just like trouble. Just like trouble. No, I think it will. I think it will. There are tiny little things that are wrong, and because everything's not going great for us at the moment, it's accentuated because everybody's looking to him to do it for us, make us win again. Raheem is the thought process behind most people, and he's entitled to have a bad game the same as anybody else is. It's up to the other lads on the pitch to bail him out in that situation. The game's not having a great one. As Neil said there on Coutinho, he is a player that fits and sports. From that point of view, he will have his good periods and he'll have his periods when he's down, and that is the good thing about having the lana there now, because you do have an option. Right. Well, look, Steve, stay with me there for a moment because I want to move on, look at the last thanks, Marcus. It's reassuring. Talk to me about Hendo. How are you? How are you? How are you? You're loving the lana. A fucking lot. Look, did you see in the getting of the winning goal, in actually Ballac and Gera for taking the ball up to the corner and wasting time, is there a sort of a bat and passing moment? Come on there. Is he stepping right up now? I'm delighted to see it because we made the comment, and I made the comment last season a few times that he only seemed to step up to the plate properly when Gera had went off. Yep. And now we're actually seeing him doing it for 90 minutes, and it's brilliant to see, and I can't wait to become the captain of Liverpool. Yep. Genuinely can't. I love that, man. He's my favourite player at Liverpool. In the world. Is he your favourite player, Phil? Where? In Liverpool. At the moment. Yeah. John Bines, Phil. It's a big one, it's big. It's a big one. It's great seeing him. It's great seeing him. It's not nearly seen yet. It's great seeing you. It's great seeing you. It's not just great seeing him, but it's great seeing him. It's not just great seeing him. It's great seeing him. It's not just great seeing him, but it's great seeing him. It's great seeing him. It's not just great seeing him, but it's great seeing him. It's great seeing him. When you think about not seeing him, it makes you unhappy. And then when you see him, it makes you happy. You feel great. I tell you what. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to say. He's probably the only player at the moment that's on droppable. The entire squad. Has been for a while, I think. Yeah. But I'm just saying, you look at it from 1 to 15. He didn't have the bestest game in the Champions League. He's had the rest of the team. He's had his down moments, which is very on Henderson. You know, in comparison to what we see in, say, last season. But that's just the way things are going at the moment. But it's great to see the mental fortune, you know, to put in that performance. Coming off the back. Moral courage. The commitment. But it is. Because, you know, even the goal, there was an element of maturity in the finish. It wasn't just a whack. Just read my mind. Yeah. It wasn't just a whack. It wasn't just a whack. It was a lovely cushion pass into the corner. And it was like, there was a big rar out of the goal. It was like, it was just, it was that moment. It was like a rar out of the line. I don't know. It was lovely to see it, because, you know, between himself and the line, for the two of them to score. You know, because even in the derby it was the two of them, you know, charge. And they were, they were carrying the flag into battle. Rar out of the line. That to me is a good sign, because when you have players who are, you know... He probably wants to be a terrible player. Rar. That's it. But it's a ball and Rar out of the line. But to see that being delivered, you know, again, you're looking for other leaders. You're looking for other people on the team. One of the staff. Yeah, to be leaders, right? And you're looking at our young players, the likes of Moreno and Manquayo. They've been leading from in the back. Of all our back four, those two players have been the leaders in the back. And you wanted our center backs and our goalkeepers to be the leaders. Our four backs have been the leaders there. And then you're looking for midfield and Henderson's been the leader there. And since Lilana's gone into the team, he's been the leader in the attack, right? And that's what you're seeing. You're seeing a progression of leaders through the team. And that's, that's great to see, because it's, it's the, you know, the exceptional land. They are the young players that are in that side. And then also gives something when Sterling gets, we know when Sterling comes back to form, he's prepared to, you know, to take a bite of balls and go with it. And he'll give a Rar. And then when you also, and then, and then Catina was, well, we know he's more than capable of giving a right. He give loads of Rars last year. And he's going Rars all over the shop. Yeah. Yeah. Great to see you, Jordan. Great to see you, man. I am Lujware. You are listening to Driven's chat with Trevor. Okay. I suppose we'll have a little chat about Raheem Sterling and his contract situation. Jay, what can you tell us about the way things are at the moment? And is it a worry, do you think? I don't think it's a worry at all. I mean, obviously it's something that's been in the pipeline for quite a while now. Along with a few of the other players as well. I mean, obviously Daniel storage is just recently shot in the contract. And the likes of Henderson and Catina and Flanagan are all in the pipeline as well as still. And, but obviously because he's just happened, there's always like the type of the helmets and all that sniffing ram. But what people have got to realize is he's been in 19 years of age. So I think he's a grounded lad. And I think he's loving us his time at Liverpool. And there's the opportunities that he's getting. So I'm pretty sure it'll be fine. And I've seen reports where people are saying he's going to get 100 grand a week and stuff. I'm not too sure it'll be that high because I think what will happen is with many deals now. It's all incentive based. So you'll obviously get it. You get a basic wage. And then it'll be the incentives on software that which might take it up to the 100 grand a week mark. But I think some of the reports are a bit far-fetched. Yeah, Phil, it gets us jumpy, doesn't it? When we, especially in the back of losing such a wonderful player that we hear about this guy who's our real shining light. Anything at all like that just gets fans jumpy, doesn't it? Yes, Adam. Yeah. I know. Like, I suppose the worry here is that he's so good, right? That if the worst happened and we didn't make Champions League this year, you'd be scared shitless that he'd be gone in the summer, like, you know what I mean? Like a big bid to come in and say, right, he'll say he can't turn it down with two years left in his contract. The club would say, right, he's at the max value and get unless he signs a new contract. He won't sign a new contract. All the things that happen, say, with McManaman and own comes back to mind when you're thinking about things like that. So I think it's good that the business, the club are opening the negotiations now, which is before it gets around to the automatic. I think, Jay, am I right? The 90 appearance or something, he had a closet where he was guaranteed. He could come in and renegotiate the contract at that stage. So they're starting to early with him and hopefully they can get it done fairly quickly. Like, to me, honestly, I don't care how much they pay him because he's that good. That's my point. There's nobody better at the club. So you automatically sort of freeze when you... Yeah. I think about it. The big earners, we took big earners off the wage bill over the summertime and Agar went and Raina went and Suarez himself went. You know what I mean? So if you're going to have top players at your club, at some point you're going to pay top wages. And given that Raheem Stern is one of the best young players in Europe. The world. Europe the world. Europe the world. Europe the world. Europe the world. Europe the world. Europe the world. Europe the world. Europe the world. Europe the world. You're up to people aren't you. Yeah. But yeah. You know, pay him. Pay him. Pay him. Pay him out of money. Pay him out of money. Pay him out of money. Steve, it's not our money. So you just... Are you happy to throw it out of money? It is our money. That's why we look at everything we look at. It's not your money. It's the money I pay when we... His LFC fans membership. That's 15 quidier. Yeah. So that's a big part of Raheem's contract. No. My thinking would be like... I suppose from a business point of view, I would think make a massive improvement on what he's on at the moment. Yeah. But don't pay him at the top end. And the reason for that being leave a little bit of wiggle room for yourself when somebody inevitably does come in. Ah, how are those business? So get him in $85.90 grand a week. You leave yourself still open to pay $1.21.30 when he's progressed over the next two or three years. He's still only $22 at that stage. You've got to leave yourself wiggle room for that. Get him on the board. Get him on the transfer committee. I couldn't do much fucking worse than what's there when it sounds of it. So that would be my thinking on it. But the truth of it is, it doesn't matter. Okay, it's important we get him down on our contract. Okay, regardless what it is, it's important we get him locked down to our contract. But the truth is, we still are not a financial powerhouse. So if, you know, Byron Barsa, Madrid, want him to tell get him. So we have to steal ourselves to that ongoing possibility. He plays as well as he's going to play and we hope he will. Everyone's got a lot. We're in a position now whereby if we create the best players in the world, we're inevitably going to lose them. Yeah. And until we're winning the league and, you know, absolutely each year, not worrying, are we going to make the Champions League, but instead saying to ourselves, are we going to compete in the Champions League, that's when we can start holding on to our best players. Yeah. You know, and I'm not saying we have to be a feeder club because really there's only three or four clubs in the world that you'd be working, like Juventus come in, you can tell them to fuck off. You know what I mean? We've got the financial power to do it. But Barsa, I don't even know about PSG because the French League is shit. So you know what I mean? You might just get away with hanging on to them there. If you're genuinely, you know, a competitor in the premiership, but I think until we're at the point whereby we're winning the league and qualifying and competing in the Champions League every year, that's when you can start saying to Suarez, you don't need to go anywhere. You don't need to go anywhere, Sterling, or whoever it may be is our quality player at that time. Yeah. Another very, very strong story, stroke potential reality that's gone on to Mum, there's Victor Vales to Liverpool. What's the situation there, Jay, as far as you're aware? Is the deal close? I heard some interest in rumours this evening about it being close to being done. Yeah. At the weekend, apparently, it's representative for the game, and obviously, Rodgers was asked the question, wasn't it, if there's any news on it, and he seemed to be a little bit mystified by it, he's always like, playing it down a little bit, trying to be coy about it. I think it's evident to see, isn't it, that Liverpool do need the new goal, he bet. He think minimally, he's formed, he's being very patchy, and people have said numerous times about him, I've made that, yeah, he's not a bad shortstop, but he doesn't command his boxing off, and he's not good with the ball at his feet, and he doesn't really instill confidence in the defence in front of him, so I think it is one of them situations where ball dead has obviously been a top goal, he's got an easy, he's very experienced as well, and he was all set, wasn't he, took to Monaco and then he got that bad injury to the back end of last season, the Barcelona, and obviously, they pulled out of the deal for him, so it's just all about proving his fitness really, and to be honest with you, I'm not really sure what way we'll go, because when you think about it, because he's had such a bad injury, it may be at the case of we'll get him on a short day and deal, and then she checks it again in the show, whether or not we'll give him a property, like I said, he's not going to come here on pain, ultimately, he's going to be on decent wages, so at this moment in time, he's got to prove his fitness, and I think it's getting closer because obviously he's said that on the end of October time, so like I said, I think it's a work in progress for now. Yeah, Ray, how is Simon Amelia feeling with this floating around the background, and what does it do to him? Hopefully, shit, and I've been pointy-tongued and hoping he's towing around, but the West time game, I'm sorry, that's it now, that was a start, I broke the camel's back for me, and I've had enough of a go in there, I've zero confidence in the fella at all. I thought he's doing okay on the weekend, but no, he's just not for me. No confidence whatsoever, every cross into the box, he has scared, every one I'm worn, I'm scared, I'm struggling to think of his plus points, people say he's shot, stop, and say it gave me for a goalkeeper, I think every fan of every club will tell you the capers a good shot, stop, I think that's part of being a keeper, you want everything else that goes along with it, and Amelia, for me, is gone, sorry. Do you know I think it's a combination of a few things, like the very shaky lad set up in front of him, and the fact that there is this threat in the background is not a couple of things combining. Possibly, but as I said, this has gone on since he saw him with me, so I couldn't see even signal that out, I'm struggling to see his plus points, as I've said already, the shot stop and thing is just, it's a no-go for me, there's no confidence, I don't fail for one second, he's got this covered, I'm struggling to think of his plus points. He has you nervous? Yeah, and Amelia, are you excited about Valle as a right? No, no, particularly. I think it's just replacing for Valle as very unorthodox in everything he does. He's not exactly a commanding goalkeeper from what I can remember him playing anyway. He wouldn't be, he wouldn't be akin to a Peter Schmikel or safe hands, Neville Seltar comes to mind as well. I'm Pat Jennings, believe it or not, which is... Good way, bro. Good lord. Yeah. Have you forgotten, like, the whole '90s and started an odd, you know, going into Seltar and that? No, but like, then it wants to spring to mind, and he's not going to be a goalkeeper that's come out and come out and catch crosses, he's very unorthodox, and so you're just replacing it for, like, I think it's more panic, or more panic, or trying to square peg in a round hole. It's not a phrase that comes to mind. What else? That's cool, I like that one. Yeah, it's not bad. I haven't written on the back of your hand. You were going to yield, but it was put down in somewhere. Yeah, yeah. No, I don't think it's going to solve our problems. I think the problem should have been solved in the summer, and this is just more panic and... What do you think of that shot? But it was a square peg in the round hole. That's still, that's, that's still, hopefully, gloomy from Neil, Larry. Well, what's your take on that? I'd like to be honest. I'd like to be honest, Trevor. I'd like to thank you. Okay. Look, you know, I don't have an issue with unorthodox goalkeepers. Never having been one. No, seriously, the thing for me is that look, if Valdez comes in, he takes three of the four boxes you want in what we consider a Brendan Rodgers style goalkeeper, right? He's very good at stopping shots. Now, he's not going to catch shots, whatever, but he'll stop them, right? He commands his box, not in terms of aerially, but he plays high in his box. So he's up at the edge of his 18 yard box. He pushes the center backs out because he plays a bit like Reyna did when he, when he was at top four, and he also distributes the ball very quickly and very effectively. Now, you put those three things in. You can probably live with the fact that he'll never catch a cross, ever, right? He comes to punch everything. The best comparison I can think of is his Yens Layman. And let's... Jesus Christ. Well, this is what everyone says, Jesus Christ. Yens Layman was the goalkeeper for Arsenal when they went on beat in the season. Yens Layman was very unorthodox, but he was very effective as a goalkeeper for Arsenal. They got to a Champions League fine with them. They won't leagues with him. You might never liked what he did in the pitch, but what he did was he won't games with him. And Valdez will be in games with him. Would he be my choice for long-term Liverpool goalkeeper? No. But at the moment, would he potentially be better than what Minuli can bring to the team? And I'm not talking about Minuli's good qualities, I'm talking about the overall package. Then yes, I think he will. He also brings one thing that Minuli can't, and something that's lacking in the defence as I said earlier on, he's going to be an old head in that back four, right? You've got... If you look at potentially Osaka all over in Moreno-Manquillo defence, not one of them are over 25, right? Even with Skirtland there, you've only got one player over 25 in that defence. And sometimes you need the experience. You need the knowledge of winning games, of seeing how tight matches where you're winning Monil and you don't lose your battle with two minutes into injury time. You know what I mean? And that's the one thing that Valdez also brings to the defence. And the one thing he's an organizer, he's a communicator, and I think potentially these are all type of things that if you listen to what Brendan Rodgers was talking about in the summer about what he wanted for his defence, it ticks so many boxes. But yes, so many people are going to be annoyed with the way he actually plays in goal, right? Because he isn't what you would call an orthodox English-style goalkeeper. Steve, well, that's an interesting point to lead on from what Phil's talking about there. The fact is he's going to be an orthodox, but the fact that he probably will play immediately. If he does, what does that do to some Monilite? Because we're going to need some Monilite if we're going to progress in the Champions League. We can't destroy his confidence. I don't think he's going to play immediately. OK. I think he'll come in and I think that basically you'll see the competition for Monilite. Monilite doesn't have any competition there. He has Brad Jones sitting on the bench every week, and he knows he's not under pressure. He knows he's never ever going to lose his place to Brad Jones at this moment in time. Bringing an experience, keeping him, and like Phil said, he wouldn't be my first choice either. I never really fancied him when both physically and from a footballing point of view, when he was at Barca. Would you go as far as to say that he's a square peg in what we call a round hole? I may, I may. That's an excellent analogy. It just came to me there. Now, to be fair, I've spoken on the pod many, many times about a young German keeper called Kevin Trapp. You won't have heard of him, Phil. Who does he play for? I'm wondering, Brad, back. No. But no, in all seriousness, I think it's a good signing. I think it's a smart move. I think even silly little things, as Phil said about an old head in that back line, he'll know how to kill a game, and that's probably what we don't have at the moment in the sense of if we're under pressure, he'll know how to take the sting out of an opposition attack if he gets hold of the ball, be it spraying it out and taking it back off and then spraying it out again and just making their front line work and work and turn them out. If they've got the pressure on, he's an excellent distributor of the ball. I will give him that. He's rain-esque in the way he can essentially start. Possibly better. I haven't seen, compared to the amount I saw, rain to the amount I've seen validates. It's always in the big games, really, that I'm watching bars, if I'm honest. Or hung over on a Sunday there the only two times I ever see. So from that point of view, he does have the ability to start attacks on with this pace that we have of sterling and storage, and hopefully be in a case where Mark, which actually does finally get off the mark and we get to see what we're supposed to have been bought. I think he'll have the ability to bring them in there, bringing the attack and play straight from the back. Yeah. Fair enough. Jay, would you say that's fair enough? Or would you think we're going to see him immediately into action? How do you think that'll go if and when he does sign? I don't think it'd be brought in to just go straight into the team because for obvious reasons, you've got to prove yourself, haven't you? It's one of them. It'd be a bit harsh on me, even though he hasn't really performed to the levels that we really require. But I think long-term values will become the number one. But from my point of view, I would like to see how I would go till the end of the season. No, I wouldn't be rushing into giving them a two or three-year deal or anything like that. To be honest, the keeper that I would like is the still goal keeper, Beggabitch. Yeah. I think, realistically, when we got Minula, we also looked at Beggabitch and it was sort of Manchester City getting him. It was a dealing match with Edmond, under Manchinie, but obviously Manchinie lost his job and I think it was about £50 million and the poor went for the cheaper option in Minula and it proved to be the keystagner because, for me, I think he's been a bit disappointing to be honest with you. And I know he's still only a young, old keeper, but Beggabitch is really amazing a few years old, mainly. Yeah. So, my first six, I mean, obviously, you can talk about the top goalkeepers like Manuel Noir and all, and believe it, people are going to get that by a Munich goalkeeper. So, ultimately, you've got to be sensible about who you want, and I think Beggabitch should be perfect for us. He reminds me a little bit like the Czech style of a goalkeeper, but as I say, that's for another time, because we're not even linked to him anymore at this moment in time. It's all about Valdez, so hopefully within the next six weeks of show, we'll probably get him. Hopefully. Jay, like you'll hear things as well that's going on, right? I'm always amazed, you know, we've never seen to scout the German market. Now, and I'm big on the idea of German goalkeepers because the range of talent that they have, right? Now, Steve mentioned my hubby horse, and I've been on it since before, we saw in Minula, which is Kevin Trappner. The guys might have a 4 million euro boyo clause in his contract at the moment. It's enforceable in the January window, you know, but your knowledge you have, do air scouts seem to only focus mainly on Spain because we just seem to buoy players from Spain and primarily Spain when you look at where we're going from, you know what I mean? Do you have a sense that maybe if the players that we saw and don't come true at a greater percentage in terms of the money that's being spent, will fallows and hunter start getting called into question as to the range of talents and what they're bringing? Because you've said it yourself, some of the selections they make seem to be at odds with what Brendan Rogers wants even himself, and I suppose that'll take us on the cycle. But you know, I'm just in general. We got Emily Chan, did me from Germany, so, you know, I think that was one, but I think that was Sammy Hippier inspired because he's obviously managed them, I'd make sure he'd give the little, you know, the heads up on him, how good he was or potentially how good he could be. In the past, we did look at that test, again, he ended up a Barcelona show. He's like an nurse, a nurse Barcelona, after a goalkeeper to shame where he's Liverpool are. Not at times, out of 10, he's going to choose Barcelona over Liverpool. But we're also being interested in that Julian Brand as well, you know, the young kid at Liverpool. Yeah. So it's not as though we don't look at that mark, but, you know, well, Emily Chan's the only one that we've really bought, so, you know, which one of them is, you know, it's like, you're quite writing what you're saying, I mean, obviously, in Brendan Rogers, 10 years so far, there's been, like, a few funny signs where you think, as he's showing them or is it being the committee, you know, even last summer, you know, you're looking at, like, the fact that we shined, yeah, I go, ask personally, we shall bet on, are they really Brendan Rogers' type signs? I mean, you know, you've got to think of the committee signs, don't I mean, it's a little bit unclear. I mean, Brendan Rogers is part of the committee, don't forget, but obviously, because there's a few of them, it all goes to a vote, doesn't it? So, it is quite complicated, really, and it's difficult to get your head round, but there is some mysterious view that go on, I mean, Brendan Rogers at each way, though, they'll probably have Ashley Willem's playing center after, you know, depending on what you want, it's just the most, the committee hope, Brendan Hodges. That is a worry, Jay, one of those players in that category you were talking about is Mamaloo Sacco, and with his recent troubles now, of course, the story's starting to circulate a little bit of rumble about, you know, even perhaps departure at the next window. Do you think there's anything to do with that? You know, Sacco, you saw, he divides opinion so much with Liverpool fans, because you get some Liverpool fans who just think he's our best defender, he's this big beast that he's fantastic, he's great for France, so, all of a sudden, because he's great for France, that means automatically he's great for Liverpool as well. Now, to be honest with you, I've never been 100% convinced by him, I just think when he first came, I put the term of, he's like Jimmy Trayore on steroids, I just, I'm never convinced by him, I just think he looks nervous to me on the ball, and maybe that's just the way he is, and apparently he comes out high on all the passing stats and what have you, but I think it's clear to see Brendan Hodges doesn't really think he's as good as what's saying Liverpool fans believe he is either, and his opinion matters the most because he's ultimately the one that picks the team, and I think, let's be honest, none of our centre apps have performed very well after over the period of time that Sacco's been at the club, I mean, Colo Torres got loads of mistakes in him, scales just like, you know, let's be honest, he's very rashes named, he pulls people in the box, he's all over, people in the box, he's very clumsy, and Lovren's at the tenable start of his Liverpool career, and so it's difficult, isn't it, because out of all four of the centre apps we've got currently to choose from, none of them are convinced and really are they, but I just think the person who's opinion matters the most is Brendan Hodges, and it's quite clear to see that scale and Lovren, the two that he really fancies, and Sacco's not there as the main one, and it does really wrangle, but a lot of Liverpool fans, a lot of Liverpool fans are really disappointed in that fact, because they do think Sacco's the best defender we've got, but like a way, what happened recently, you know, it's, I got told in training before that game, there was the other problem in training between Rogers and Pascow, and it was a build up from that, and then obviously he was left out of the team, but then it came out that he had an injury, and then you think into yourself, surely it's a guard, that's not true, he hasn't got an injury at all, but he wasn't called up to the French squad, it was, he clearly has got some sort of problem, but you know, he's not gonna be at the easy, because let's be honest, he's in the team, and then he's out the team, and it's, he's probably looking at the thinking, all these other centres, after they're any better than me, he probably put each in his own ability and he thinks he's the best centre that we've got, but he's made mistakes as well, and it's difficult to say, isn't it, because I mean, from my point of view, it's up to Brendan Nudge's ultimately, but I do think he divides opinion, and as regards to maybe being told in January, I think we'd leave our shell short if we showed them, because the amount of players that we've got loads of centre that's like coasters is out on loan, they're lorries out on loan, but ultimately, if we let track out, we'd leave our shell short, so I can't see it myself, but what got me was when we shined, so I thought, we were told when we were coming out saying, he is like a mark, he's shined, but I was thinking he's usually trying to keep there, because it's quite clear that Brendan Nudge's has never been convinced by him. Yeah, Jay, before I go to the lads on this, because I want to talk to him about that, too, please tell me that story that you heard about the bus stop was actually between Rodgers and Pasco, because that would be just brilliant. I don't know the exact of it, but apparently, short on happenings in this rain, and the progression before that game, it was a fallout about Shaco, I don't think it was passionate or nuts, I think it was a disagreement with Shaco, and then both of them, too. Alright, okay. Did Pasco want the shorts? That's what it's called, but that was a short space argument, Neil, would you be sorry to see Saco go, if this thing does come to a head, or do you think it's all nonsense? Well, I'd be sorry to see him go from the point of view of that, we're very short, I mean, there's a fundamental problem with recruitment there, the dissent I have on people that have come in, since Rodgers has been there, none of them were up to standard. Like Jay was saying there, he was supposed to be, excuse me, he was supposed to be a marquee, so I think I'll do the inverted comments, things like that, fingers again. That's good, yeah. He never was, I mean, he hasn't convinced me from just that, I don't find him at all convincing, and the trowaway comment seems to be, "Oh, sure, he's great for France." Oh, you watched the World Cup the same, he said, "He wasn't exactly exceptional for France either." I think there's an undercurrent of panic when he's in possession. He doesn't feel me with confidence whatsoever, and it's in, having said that, we can't let him go because we're badly, there's no coverage at all. We need that panic. Yeah, no, but sure, what do we do, we're scared to get into it, Saco comes in, isn't it? He's not getting any better, but that's all we have, I mean, there's nothing else there. So it's a, he can't let him go until there's someone to replace him. I'm on the other side of the fence, I write Saco. I think he's, I do think he's our best centre-back, and I think the Lovren-Saco combination was our best centre-back combination. I think the goal is against Shao, right? Now, I do think Scirtland Lovren, as we said in the reviews that we were talking about, was that he is, they showed a bit more for him over the last two games, but at the same time, I had more confidence in Saco and Lovren purely because Saco reads the game better than Scirt, reads the game, and was starting to cover for Lovren more than Scirt covers for Lovren. And on a partnership basis, the way that you want centre-backs to play with, right? I do think that Saco hasn't played near the form that he has displayed for France, and I watch France in the qualifying and even in the actual qualifiers that got them there and Saco scored the goals, you know, that sent them on the way. So I think, you know, there's a bit of, there's a bit of belief as well, if you, if Saco believes he's the main man, he's probably less likely to feel nervous on the pitch because there's another thing, if you were to force name down at the team sheet, you feel that you're in a way the leader of the defence, et cetera, et cetera, that's going on. And that's Lovren. It's not Saco. It's not Scirt. Lovren is the force name on that team sheet. So he's the leader of the defence, essentially, of that back four. And Lovren is as bad as a parentic merchant, as Saco is. You know what I mean? When I look at Lovren, I'm looking and I'm looking, I'm saying, where is the upgrade on Daniel Lager, in Daniel Lager's last season? And I don't see it. Now, I'm not saying that Lovren's a bad defender, I think Lovren has a fake letter in every single game. I think Scirtle has a fake letter in every single game, and if you have two centre backs to have fake letters in every single game, as I said earlier on, you're going to concede goals. And I think, in a way, the mismatch in the two of the, of their studs is a bigger issue than say, Saco and Lovren, who are both proactive, both attacking defenders. And that's, that's what I always found on it. But I do think Saco has now put himself into a, into a corner where he's also created a narrative that if he wants to get out of the club, he has it. In January, because he can just say, well, I'm not getting the game, I didn't come here to sit on Liverpool's bench when I was sitting on my hometown team's bench. And that's my biggest concern about it. Because again, things like this, if results are going to go on your weight, small legaments can fester in dressing rooms and can become bigger issues. And that's, that's, that's where I see it going. Raisie, part of the best plan that we have, Saco? Well, yeah, for me, yeah, I can understand everyone picking it. He does have that team where Rolamo seems like he needs another touch on the bar, but it's not as though I gifted with a lot of centre halves there that are a great ball carriers and tight the bar level. He's the best passer we have there. And that's his only down point. I can't see any other down point other than the fact he, he, he seems to take a couple of seconds longer than he showed with touches on the ball. Yeah. It's passing. No. It's over 10 points a month. He wins headers. He's, he, I don't say that I can understand this, this thing about looking slightly nervous, Reggie. But my God, what are we putting them up against? Are we judging them off here? Because the other two were, I hadn't took too much either, you know? Yeah. And we want a defender to defend. That's the key. He's the best we've got. If you ask me. I think the problems are a little bit more deep-rooted or more fundamental than just the two centre halves being the problem. I mean, I think your two centre halves and your goalkeepers should work in tandem or work as a tree. And if one part of that tree isn't operating to its full potential, then the whole thing falls down. I mean, if their two centre halves get their confidence from a goalkeeper and vice versa. I mean, your goalkeeper should be an authority behind you. And he should be like, in a management position, I suppose, in behind his defence. And that's not happening. If you have a goalkeeper behind you who's going to instill confidence and he's going to do his job to the best of his ability and do it correctly, then your centre halves does less of a panic around the place. And I think that's a fundamental problem there as well, accounting all the blame can be laid at the centre halves. I think there's an element of Sacco and Lovren possibly playing better as a partnership as well if Valdez was in gold. He's going to have a natural starting point of probably 10, 15 yards further forward than where Minule tends to position himself. And they want to press high. They want to play as a high back four. And you can see that Manquillo and Moreno are well capable of it as well. I think as Phil pointed out there earlier on, it's hard to do that with Skirtle. Even though we do attempt it, it's hard to do it with Skirtle because he doesn't provide the cover for his centre half partner. And therefore what you leave yourself with is if we get caught with that ball in behind Lovren and there's no cover from Skirtle, you're leaving a forward with fucking 40 yards one-on-one with Minule, and at this moment in time you're not really putting your money on Minule to do the business there either. If you're playing with Valdez and Sacco's given the cover to Lovren and Valdez is quicker off his line or further, his starting position is closer to the play than what Minule is naturally would be as well. Where do you benefit from that? That would be my thinking on it. Nice pose. Jay, just to finish this out and that then, going forward is for you, Sacco part of the best duo that we have there. Like I say, it's very difficult, isn't it? Because, I mean, I'm not convinced by all four of them. I just think it's horrible, really, because you're looking at the defence and you think in the last season the amount of goals we conceded, it was ridiculous and ultimately it cost us the title for me. You can go on a bar, you can go on a bar, get out, slip and whatever you are, end this from being sent off a mission three games towards the end. But when you concede over 50 goals, it's not good enough, like we shine Lovren in the show, it's a sort of like coming and trying to solve a few problems and it's not really worked out. I mean, I like the two four-backs, but as regards to choosing your best-paying, I really don't know. It's anyone's guess. I mean, I'm sure you could probably ask like 50 different people and you probably get like quite a lot of different responses because, you know, ultimately, it's what you do. I mean, none of them are good enough for me and I've never ever been a fan of Sacco, I've got to be honest about it, I've never been a massive fan of them and I'm baffled by some of the opinions that Liverpool fans have on them because I just think I'm yet to share in a red shirt, he may well be good for France and he's got better plays around than they. Obviously, he's got Veranna's new play centre, that's fine, but when it comes to Liverpool, Miata always in my mouth when he's on the ball and I take on board about his passing accuracy and all that, but I just think he just looks like he's going to, he's nervous all the time in possession and as I say, it might be down to the system, it might be down to because there's no confidence in behind him because many of these pretty poor, even in front, there's no protection in front of the back of the back line because don't get out playing his knee there and let's be honest, he's not the best, he's just playing his holding the field player so unless Liverpool shine the proper defence with the field player to protect the back, the back too, I really don't know it's a difficult one to assess but I think like when you're looking at it with Lovrun, I find in baffling because he's right sided but he prefers to play on the left side as the left side centre off, it's not just me, you know, you would think wouldn't you really, Lovrun to be the right side and Shaco to be the left side but for some reason it appears to me that Brendan Nudge just seems to find the scale and Lovrun and obviously he's got this affection towards scale because maybe it's because he's the most experienced centre I've got, he's been at the club the longest and maybe that plays a part in it, I really don't know but to me it seems like Shaco's down to pick another. Jay, as I were, thanks for the money for your talk tonight. Okay, a couple of questions from listeners, subject topics, draw questions, first one's Wayne Fox Jones and Wayne wonders, he says I always have fried rice and curry from the Chinese across from the club shop pretty much, do you have any food superstitions? It really sounded like you said, Wayne Fox Jones, I'm not on a lie, I'm not on a lie, I'm not on a lie, I'm not on a lie, I'm not on a lie, do you Wayne Fox Jones, do I have any pre-game superstitions, no, well it was food superstitions, pretty much, I like to, if I get a curry and chips, I like to eat all my chips and dunk them into the curry sauce before I touch the chicken, okay I'm not one of these men, bitter chicken, bitter chips, this has not to deal with the football, this is just how you are superstition, if we eat my field this way, the football will go a certain way, it's just, you can bring it right to the football superstition, is this part of the field footballer, no, because it hasn't been for the last year or so, what is that now, no I've no, I've no pre-game superstitions at all, pay food superstitions around the house, I just don't watch the match and fuck off home, I have any other quirks there, but the way you eat your curry chips, anything else like that, ooh let me think, do you leave the meat to last in the dinner, I think something like that, sometime, no, no, no, not by, I did go through a stage where I put everything on bread, and I mean, fucking everything, I'm not even joking, I'm talking like lasagna sandwiches, chicken, chicken curry and rice, chicken curry and rice, basically anything that arrived on my plate for dinner, went on to two slices of bread, and I just, that's just so Irish though, isn't it, I just use a samba oil, fucking everything, no, no, my grandma actually, my grandma just eats Swiss roll sandwiches, that was fucking weird. - What was between the two slices of Swiss roll? - Swiss roll, more Swiss roll, that's just three pieces of Swiss roll, that was a slice of bread, Swiss roll, oh good, yeah that's impressive, I have to try that, that sounds good to me, I'm on the go, that's a proper, that's a proper, two o'clock in the morning Saturday, I'll try this Swiss roll, I'll try this Swiss roll, I'll try it now, I'll try that Swiss roll, I'll stick it in bread, it'll be crummy, dip it in your tea, make it soft again, right, only much related food synthesis, I'll find myself, if I'm wearing a set in Jersey or T-shirt and we get a decent result, I'm looking for that set, same, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, what but you need only two positions? - Absolutely not, no, none, none, no, you're just, no sorry I'm only at the piss, yeah, no, be honest, I haven't got any superstations, sure, if I had it be down the mall at the time, I should never leave the house, yeah, because at the minute Liverpool like chefs, so I've had any superstations, I'd want to ditch them, yeah, so now I haven't, no, that's brilliant, I'm glad we got the apartment, thanks, thanks for the, I figured out my jinx, what's your jinx? - I haven't been wearing the right hoodie to the games, what's the right hoodie, I can't find anymore, so maybe just stop going to games, that's a good superstition, if I go to the game, that's it, I do have a superstition actually come to think of it, yeah, I don't like to be all this texting and what's happened during the match, that does my brain and I don't know what you guys do, you're not just watching my show, that's not really a superstition though, that's more than I've gone in, this This is only happened this year and we're doing shit. - Yeah, but. - So just stop it. - It hasn't just happened. - No, you just went all right. - No, but for me. - You just weren't part of the gang. - Right, but that's it. Oh, we're done. I'm over here. (laughing) - Shani made it. Over to that door for anything. (laughing) - Brilliant flame, stop, brilliant flame. Neil, come back to you. Barry Carr is wondering what's the work. (laughing) - Neil, Neil, Neil. (laughing) - Neil, Barry's wondering what's the worst thing you've ever received apart from a good beat. What's the worst thing you've ever received? - I can't say to the case by my baby. (laughing) - I'm gonna be saying, I'm right up here. - I suppose there's nothing as bad as the cake in the stones. You just know, that's the worst thing I ever happened to me, yeah. - Cake in the stones. - I'm still waiting to come back down. There's no sign of them. That was when it was 14. - Yeah. - We just have to wait. - Maybe I should only have the one. - I want massive one. (laughing) - That's what I mean, no. (laughing) - Steve, I need any bad gifts over the years. - Fucking bad gifts, yeah, probably loads of them. Probably should have talked through with his hands. (laughing) - Steve, thanks for that Steve. - Yes, good for you guys. We're gonna make it up as he goes along. Just to finish with some admin, then Irish listeners who like to play football should come and do so here at Astro Park. You can book your pitch time at Astro Park.ie. On our website, LFCDaytrippers.com. We've lots of cool stuff at the moment. Fantastic articles from some fine writers. And there's always competitions there for you to take part in as well. There's a day trip coming up on November the 1st where LFC fans from all over the country are heading to Waterford for an overnight or in the Dooley Hotel. We're gonna be there. We'll be recording something on the day and we'll want to get involved. So if you do want to join us, get on to YNWA, Irish Reds. And keep an ear out for our next Anfield FM show. The site is details on how you can access that station. Your day trip is tonight where Jay Riley, Stephen Daly, Neil Gray, Ray Brady, Phil Casey and myself travel down here. - Stop, stop. You wanted it that much? I've done what I got down to it. She was changing gear in a Renault 4. Stop it, you're gonna, yeah. So that's about the worst thing I've ever seen. - For a younger listeners, a Renault 4 with an old car. - I didn't change gear very easily. (laughing) - It was my petrol, the Renault 4. - Hot Jennings driver. (laughing) - When his hands up to Sunday, I want to see parable. - Thank you. (laughing) - That is having a wink in the Renault 4. (laughing) - And this love has made me talk about it. (laughing) - Very nice. (laughing) - I hope you know. - Attention Social Security and SSI recipients. If you did not receive an economic impact payment for your eligible spouse or dependents, you may need to file a 2020 tax return with the IRS and claim the recovery rebate credit. Go to ssa.gov/eip to see if you need to file a tax return and if eligible for other refundable tax credits, like the child tax credit. That's ssa.gov/eip. Produced at US taxpayer expense. - 15 minutes could save you 15% or more. - Oh, that's a cheer we used to do in softball. - But what? It's actually Geico's. - Whenever someone hit a triple, we would wave our bats and yell, "15 minutes could save you 15% or more." - Well, we never got to use it because we would only hit home runs. Annoying. - The phrase is from Geico because they helped save people money. - Geico? Yeah, they were our team sponsor. - Geico, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more. (crowd cheering) - This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. [BLANK_AUDIO]
Post west brom chat heading into the international break. We chat the good times from saturday, How much we love lallananana and Hendo. Talk Balo and Gerrard in AM. Have a chat with Jay Riley on Raheem’s contract, Valdes and the defence before closing out with some questions on things you asked. Much happiness was in the bunker thanks to the win.
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