Liverpool have been linked with Denmark’s Christian Poulsen pretty much since Xabi Alonso left us for Real Madrid a year ago. The signing of Alberto Aquilani helped quieten these rumours thankfully but here we are a year later being linked with the tough Dane again. Upon first reading the speculation I dismissed it as lazy journalism, and this was backed up when Poulsen’s agent denied that he had spoken to Liverpool I was hopeful that this would signal the end of the rumour, but with Roy Hodgson now confirming his interest, it seems as if he will be a Liverpool player in the not too distant future.
Even though Poulsen is currently a fringe player for the struggling Juventus team, that is not really my biggest concern when it comes to us signing him. We’ve all seen players (and managers for that matter) revitalise their careers after having a change of scenery, and I wouldn’t claim that Poulsen’s not capable of ever regaining his form. While he was at Schalke and then Sevilla especially he actually proved to be a talented midfielder, and won the Danish Player of the Year Award two years in a row.
His ability isn’t the reason I’m against Liverpool signing him, because he’s shown in the past that he does possess some. I’m against Liverpool signing him because of his well-documented aggressive playing style and discipline problems.
It seems like everywhere Poulsen’s played he’s had serious altercations with opposing players and has made headlines for having a real nasty side while on the pitch. His higher profile incidents include him punching a Sweden player in the penalty area during an important Euro 2008 qualifier which led to the game being abandoned and Sweden later being awarded the game 3-0. He was also heavily criticised during a match for Schalke against AC Milan due to his overly aggressive play while marking Kaka, with the Italian side’s manager at the time, Carlo Ancelotti branding Poulsen a ‘coward’ for his quite blatant dirty tactics. During an interview which can be seen on Youtube, Poulsen even happily admits that his desire to win games is so great that he is willing to sometimes play beyond the rules to ensure he ends up on the winning team. I personally don’t agree with playing dirty to win games, and I’m doubtful that this type of character would integrate well with the values of a club like Liverpool.
One of the most positive things I noticed about Liverpool in recent times was that we have a reluctance to sign dirty or selfish players. An example of this is when it was revealed years ago that Liverpool had held talks with Ricardo Quaresma but chose not to follow through with the signing after realising he wasn’t a ‘Liverpool type’ player. I have to admit that when I see other team’s players disrupting the harmony of their squads but still being kept around, it makes me grateful that we don’t put up with that kind of behaviour: you only have to look at how quickly Albert Riera was removed as an example of this. It is observations like this that really makes me feel like I support a club full of genuinely good people, and in my opinion a player who openly admits to sometimes playing outside the rules to win shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near Liverpool. When you take into account the amount of yellow and red cards he would potentially gather it makes it even clearer that we shouldn’t be signing this type of player. Bossing the midfield during a game is surely what every central midfielder aims to do, and the very best of these players do so without having to use dirty tricks or bullying the opposition. I want Liverpool’s midfield to be no different so I’m hoping that Roy Hodgson chooses not to sign a player with this much baggage, as I have no doubt that it could seriously disrupt the harmony of the squad.
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Steve McCauley, I have some questions then, if money is not a problem, why Poulson and not Flamini, Banega or Defour, please enlighten me?
Oh you think he’s going to buy a top quality striker as well with the surplus money. Keep dreaming.
Adam griffiths no mate you are mistaking my meaning mate i was highlighting that the clubs who want to win titles and cups have to have footballers who are prepaired to put there footin were it hurts that does not mean there not great players sounnes was the best all round midfielder i have seen and roy keene was a very close second so adam i was not makinga slight of roy keene i would of loved the lad in a liverpool shirt and we would not of had the decline in winning the league that we have had poulsen for the position he plays in is the right age at his prime and it gives the club to look around and find his replacement and dont for get masch cost us 18 million pounds because of his age and that was a reserve at west ham so i think this may be a good piece of buisness by roy . and parker we have a beter player in spearing , flamini cant get in ac milans team in his preverd position banega could we trust him after his antics at valencia going missing on binge drinking sessions defour is probably the best of the fore mentioned but he is just coming back from injury and the sweaty sock form man u after him so go for it roy ! cheers christoff
I totally DISagree. You dont know him. He is mentally one of the strongest players in European football. He has never disrupt the harmony of a squad.He will be a player The Kop will love right away due to his strong commitment to the club he represent. You dont have to fear anything about Christian Poulsen.
He’s a replacement for Mascherano who holds the clubs worst disciplinary record for the past three seasons…. what’s the problem? Swapping one midfield enforcer for another (who can actually shoot!).
I think signing a real hardman would be just fine. We had lots of them before, Souness, McMahon, Ince …. And Poulsen is just up there, he’s a hell of a player. Here i mean hell for the opponent … actually i quite fancy we sign this lad. With a little luck he might get the worst out of Rooney, Adabayor ……
Graeme Souness and Steve McMahon – I suppose you’d have similar issues with them playing for Liverpool for the same reasons ?
personally i would like liverpool to buy lee cattermole as a replacement for masc. he is a good, young, english player who will only get better.
Souness, McMahon and even Steven Gerrard could be written about in similar terms if somebody like you saw fit to do so.
Hodgson knows Poulsen well and a manager of his experience would not sanction such a move if he had any doubts at all about Poulsen’s ability to fit into the squad and be a team player.
I’d back Hodgson on this one and not you.
I dont see the point in signing him either but it would be brilliant to see him batter Phil Neville!
and Garry..
Buy Poulsen and Zlatan Ibrahimovic then we will be champions
Reina
Johnson,Carracher,Skrtel,Agger
Poulsen,Gerrard,Kuyt,Cole
Torres,Zlatan
Pardon me, but how is playing “dirty” any different than all the divings and the cheating that goes on when the refs dont see??? There is nothing worse in my eyes than seeing players dive and/or pretend they have broken a leg and then later when the ref has handed out yellow/red card for the opposition player, the diver stands on his feet totally alright.
This guy should be ok for a temporary replacement while Hodgson is trying to bring stability to the team.
I don’t agree.
I’m a danish guy, and can tell you that Poulsen have no near a discipline problem, can’t understand where you have these informations from.
In fact he is very disciplined and well liked in the danish national team and also with the clubs he has played for.
otherwise don’t you think that Agger would say so, I don’t think that Agger are interested in a disharmonic squad.
Also at Juventus he thought his way back to a regular place in the line-up. The manager had him placed as defensive midfielder 4 or five, but because his dedication to his clubs and hard work he played a big role for the rest of the season.
He is not more agressive than Mascherano and are better in the offencive game.
Hodgson trained him at FCK 2000-2001 and when he wants him back it’s not because of being a troublemaker.
Kind regards
Jan Svejstrup
I dont hold Poulsen’s atitutude as a reason for not signing him. I think about his preformances that never impresed me.
He seems like a cheap otpion, and I dont favor setling for less.
Maybe Hodgson wants to get rid of defensive midfielder all toghether and play Gerrard Aquillani in midfield but he needs Poulsen for the games when Liverpool needs to be more defensive. Who knows.
m kop. You are right when you say that you dont favor setling for less, but i don’t think that it’s setling for less.
Poulsen are a hard working guy and have good passes and is a better player than Mascherano in the offensive play. I think he will be an excellent player at Liverpool.
If Lucas are sold to Palermo I think Liverpool should try to get Steven Defour. He will in a couple of years be a world class midfielder and would be a man for now and the future.
What also makes Poulsen a perfect match for LFC is that like when he played for Sevilla there was a very offensive right back – Alves.
Every time he took a rush forward, Poulsen took care of the right back position.
Much like Alves, Glen Johnson also have a great deal to offer in the offensive play and Poulsen will take care of the deffensive play which i thought were a problem last season.
Hodgson knows Poulsens qualities – therefore get Poulsen as fast as possible.