As Liverpool fans will all know, we’ve struggled in the left back position for a couple of years now. We had Emiliano Insua who filled the position competently and was growing in to a very important player; learning his trade week on week. However, Roy didn’t like what he offered and he was moved on and while it appears temporary, unless Hodgson leaves soon it will most likely be permanent. To replace the young Argie, he brought in Paul Konchesky. Even Hodgson must be able to see by now that the man is suffering and is clearly well out of his depth and with the talented and popular Fabio Aurelio pretty much permanently injured, we have a shocking lack of options in a very key position. So why not go out on a limb; take a chance and re-visit old, familiar territory by bringing back an old favourite: John Arne Riise.
It may seem odd to suggest Riise but there isn’t exactly a wealth of attacking, defensively solid full backs in world football at the moment. I doubt that many knowledgeable fans would argue with the fact that Ashley Cole is the best full back in the world. But let’s be honest, he doesn’t have a great deal of competition for that accolade. Who would be the alternatives? Patrice Evra? Gael Clichy? Dani Alves? Hardly a who’s who of the world’s greatest. Yet, you would probably pay well over the odds for any one of them, as the full back role has changed over the last 5-10 years (largely thanks to attacking full backs like Carlos, Lizarazu, etc.) and most top sides operate with at least one fullback with the stamina and ability to spend most of his time supporting the attack but who also has the ability to perform last ditch tackles and perform like an old left back in a flat back four. Apart from a small handful, these days, you either get one or the other (see Glen Johnson for proof) and will usually pay twice their actual worth (see Paul Konchesky for proof of this).
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Sounds reasonable, it’s quite true that there aren’t many quality left backs around. The likes of Taiwo and Coentrao would be too expensive so I must say I support the idea of getting Riise back.
No i think the club are planning to go with younger options, rebuilding and thats good i do not want the side becoming Dads Army.
You mean younger options like Insua oh wait he got effed off to Gala, how AA oh wait went to juve. You must mean players like Konchesky and poulsen right daboy?
riise would be more than welcome back at anfield as would insua i think cos they are both better options than konchesky or injurelio,mind you my granny would be better than those 2 and she died in 1993,
YNWA
Yes i was hoping for this during the summer as he was the only quality left back we could have afforded , he would cost around £5m and while my first choice would be Fabio Coentrao he would likely cost upwards of £15m
Should never have been shipped out in the first place, got to be better than what we have now, but never look back, it’s going to cost us to get the quality we need would have been better saving the money we wasted on Konchesky and putting it to some class.
always liked JAR and was disappointed when he left, BUT, with new money and philosophy, i would prefer to go for the much younger, albeit much more expensive, coentrao!
@jg, were poulsen and konchesky not bought BEFORE the new owners came in, with their new philosophy? maybe i’m wrong there! anyhow, i think they’re targetting young players now.
I stopped reading the post after seeing ” We had Emiliano Insua who filled the position competently and was growing in to a very important player; learning his trade week on week.”
“We had Emiliano Insua who filled the position competently and was growing in to a very important player”.
You must have been watching someone else last season. The opposition right winger was man of match most games even if we are playing a league one team.
we shudn’t hv let riise leave but nw that he’s gone, we shud luk forward n’ try to get a young fullback…mayb we’ll discover another riise in the making..
Could not agree more, he strolls through Roma games last few seasons so would be fresh. Chelsea at the peak of their buying wanted JAR.
I imagine he would come in at 2M and could play for a few seasons. Not to be underestimated is he was part of a back 4 that conceded almost nothing, he also marked Drogba for long kick outs in CL because of his strenght and his ability in the air. I don’t see how 5ft 8 full backs can compare to 6ft+.
As for the og goal, anyone can score an og, look at JC and SG scored one in a final.
Warnock and JAR were the full backs to keep, not Dossena as for the present guy from Fulham, what a joke, just not a bad a joke as Polston.
Aurellio is good when we see him, insua was good to get to this level but with his lack of pace is probably better suited to Sapin or Italy.
We should play Kelly at right back and push GJ to right side of midfiled.
Need Roy to go first though.