Liverpool won Group K of the Europa League with a 1-1 away draw with Steaua Bucharest on Thursday night. Roy Hodgson opted to give youth its chance again in this competition, they did enough to garner a commendable point in Romania.
Milan Jovanovic scored a very impressive headed goal on 19 mins following a lovely cross by the enigmatic Ryan Babel. Steaua attacked for much of the game thereafter , as they had to at home in front of their own fans and desperately needed the points as they try to qualify for the knockout stages of this tournament. The equaliser arrived in the second half when Pepe Reina, Captain for the night, allowed a tame header slip between his legs and go across the line to make it 1-1 on the night.
So, all well and good, we top the group and qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League with young players getting chnces to shine for the team. However, I have one gripe with Roy Hodgson and that is his reluctance to use Milan Jovanovic more often in the first team. The guy is a good player, he scored 69 goals in 153 games for Standard Liege, was named Belgian player of the year in 2008 and won the Golden boot in Belguim in 2009 with 16 goals in 29 games, so the Serbian knows how to find the back of the net and I would dearly love to see Roy Hodgson start him upfront alonside Fernando Torres more often.
He has the pedigree, the ability and the desire to be a success at Anfield. Give him a chance Roy.
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Lemmy and his band Motorhead at a French bar
This week it is former Liverpool WAG Claudine Keane.
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CLICK ON THE IMAGE OR HERE TO SEE CLAUDINE KEANE’S GALLERY
good squad player…but not worth to start after january transfer windsow..
I’d like to see him get more chances than Ngog, Maxi and cole for that matter. The guy has the right attitude, runs all day and has an eye for goal. He’s also pretty damn quick and seems to want to stay and fight for his place. Yeah, why not play him behind Torres, move Gerrard back with Meireles and play Babel, Kuyt, Maxi and Cole on the wings. Perhaps if we can buy in January in the summer a couple of wingers with blistering pace (Hazard, Thuran and Marin spring to mind) and a decent centre forward (Benzema anyone), Ryan Shawcross and/or Gary Cahill and we’re almost there. Oh, and in a perfect world I’d trade in Konchesky and Johnson for better players as well.
I’ve been saying for a long time that Hodgson should give Jovanovic and Babel a chance. Jovanovic’s goalscoring record at Liege pretty much speaks for itself. The guy’s strong, quick and is a natural goalscorer. He also works hard for the team and can play up front and out on the left. I’m quite sure he can do better than the likes of Ngog, Cole and Maxi right now. His performances at the beginning of the season weren’t great but he needs some time to adapt to the rigours of English football. I’m looking forward to both him and Babel playing more often.
On paper he looks good and yes he needs more of a chance but to be honest I’m just not convinced. When he runs with the ball it just seems to bobble about under his feet and it’s just pure luck that it’s going the same way he is. He is predictable when running at people and only his bulk keeps the defenders off him. But he’s got a good shot (sometimes) and may be better player up front.
On another point i Was disappointed with pacheco the other day, and I’ve always sung his praises, but surely Roy saw during the u21s he is best in an attacking left.
All those impressive stats come from playing in the `Belgian League` hardly one of the top leagues in Europe. Good squad player and given time maybe one for a 1st team start or two but not at the moment. Certainly not in the premiership where he`s looked a bit lost when he has played.
yeah, give him a chance, he has a good record for scoring at international level, he’s quick, can head the ball, so why not? he may even open up some space for Torres.
Replace Roy Hodgson NESV…..as long as Woy remains so does his questionable decision making,game plan/tactics(defend 1 goal leads and shut up shop,esp.away games as he thinks a draw is a pleasing result)and his mid table mentality.Does`nt matter what players we`re linked with in Jan or season`s end,if things don`t change at management level,then all LFC fans will still be singing the same tune this time next year,without the likes of Torres and Reina for starters!!!