However, in retrospect didn’t we already have a full back, capable of all these things? Was he not also – at one time – courted by Barcelona, Real Madrid and a number of top Premier League teams? Yes, John Arne Riise at one time was considered one of the best in the world. After scoring one of the greatest free kicks we’d ever seen against Manchester United, he quickly went from strength to strength, establishing himself as a young Norwegian international in Gerard Houllier’s team of experienced internationals. Sadly for John Arne, he had the temerity to have an average season and topped it off with an error against Chelsea in an important Champions League match and – thanks largely to our wonderfully supportive fans – became a joke figure and a player fit only to ridicule. It won’t be the first time this has been said, and certainly won’t be the last, but Liverpool fans should be ashamed of the way they treated this Liverpool great. And effectively hounded him to the point where, the only fair option for Benitez was to let him leave.
Since then, Riise has gone and got his career back on track at one of the biggest clubs in Italy – AS Roma, where has scored 10 goals in 91 games and has been ever-present and vital in a Roma team that has just last season finished runners up in both the Serie A and the Coppa Italia to the best club side in Europe: Inter Milan.
As a Liverpool player, Riise was a part of one of the clubs’ most successful seasons in history; he excelled and shone in the Super Cup final win against Bayern Munich and was a vital cog in the first few seasons of Rafa Benitez’s reign. Scoring 30 goals from left back (and occasionally left midfield) in 339 games for the Reds, you cannot deny that Riise is effective going forward. Being fast and athletic have always aided his ability tracking back as well though, and his height was always an asset from set pieces. He may not necessarily be the best in the world, or even the best in Italy but you can’t deny he would offer a substantial upgrade on anything our full backs can currently offer. Oh, and he already has his own song so he’d have one up on most other options already. So perhaps in January, Roy should start his search for new players in Italy, as if he’s still here by that time, he could do a lot worse than bringing an old favourite back home.
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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.