Raul Meireles arrived at Liverpool late in the summer 2010, just in time to catch the start of the new season. After a few ‘pedestrian’ performances early on, he quickly picked up and, by the time Kenny stepped into the Roy Hodgson-sized void, he had hit a particularly strong vain of form and racking up goals and assists seemingly for fun. It was his ability to control matches; dictate a game’s tempo but to also show attacking qualities that most would associate with the clubs’ captain.
Having rounded out a successful first season by being named the PFA Fans Player of the Year, it is particularly disappointing to hear rumblings of a widening divide between the player and club in the past week or so. If rumours are to be believed, Meireles took a fairly sizeable pay-cut, such was his desire to star in the Premier League, with the agreement that, should he have a strong first season, he would be rewarded with a larger contract. Apparently – and again, this has not been officially verified – this promise has not been honoured.
Talk all week has been of how Meireles will likely be moved on in order to make room for – and to no doubt help fund – moves for Stewart Downing and, more likely, Charlie Adam. Without wanting to cast aspersions on either player or their respective abilities, they are simply not in the same class as the Portuguese man and the prospect of losing him either because the club (the board, Comolli, Kenny himself?) reneged on contract promises or simply because he is a saleable asset does not sit well with me at all. Quite simply, last season, it was he and Lucas that kept our side afloat at times; the pair of them gave the team a balance of tenacity and flair that the rest of the squad seemed to be lacking, until we brought in two expensive additions in January.
Should Raul move on from Liverpool, it will be a sad day. It will also hark back to a time not so long ago – under both Houllier and Benitez – when players considered surplus were treated simply as ‘assets’ to raise funds or sell shirts, depending on their status at the club. We have always prided ourselves on being a club with class and, despite having been dragged through the mud in the past couple of years, it felt like we’d manage to retain our reputation, if not completely. Should these rumours prove true though, it’ll be a sad day to see our great club breaking promises to a player that has performed above expectations, simply to make a fast buck and fund further additions to the squad that probably going to be less capable than the man they replace.
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Dont ever remember him controlling games! Scored some good goals, yes, but controlling games…
Personally if we swap him with Adam i’d be delighted!
i wish people who take responsibility for posting things like this article would look at the bigger picture before hinting at mistakes even before one is made, he can not and sometimes chooses not to tackle, he could be blamed for gerrard getting sent of at man u, ok he has a touch of class but we need more steel in the midfield than raul gives us, he wont be the only one leaving anfield just get on with it and stop being negative
I agree 100%.. get it done. We need someone with ‘fire in his belly’
To be honest mate, I don’t mind if he leaves or stays – I guess I would be happy either way. I don’t rate him as high as Charlie Adam – that’s just my opinion (I saw a lot of Adam last year). I think in terms of ‘ability to control matches; dictate a game’s tempo’ – personally that’s were I’m disappointed with his overall contribution, I don’t think he does do that, whereas Charlie Adam definitely does.
It would be interesting to know how many times Raul was – and by Kenny in particular – substituted last season – perhaps that is down to him being played out of position I don’t know, but I think it will give the team a totally different option if we get Adam. Meireles is a valuable sale-able asset, so it makes sense to sell him to change the squad, and make the team perform better. I agree with Kenny and Comolli on this if that is their view.
I understand your point and am wondering why we would look to sell him. We need all the quality players we can get. If we have reneged on the deal then the club is a joke.
As for Meireles, I think people are a little over the top with praise. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a luxury player that does well when the team is doing well. When we struggled, he generally didn’t offer anything and looked to be very weak in the tackle etc.
I agree he’s better than Downing though, the guy is average at best.
adam had at best 6 months in the premier league, and thats that, let me tell you adam is not that good at all.
Also, playing for a CL contender is different from playing for a relegated team. In B’pool, he was a hero, even in his odd days, easily he is better than any other team member. In LFC, he ‘ll be haunted always,to deliver his best, just to be in starting XI, or even to be on the bench.
He had a dream debut season in EPL, I don’t expect him to maintain it, let alone improve.
so thats 5 better months than Meireles had then
Adam was a Rangers reject, he shone last year at a crap club relegated. To the people suggesting he is better than Raul, walk on as it suggests you know very little about football. Carroll has the potential to be a huge flop and will play to justify his price tag, meaning we will play ‘flat’ ‘hoofball’. Downing, please spare me, he has never ever reached the ‘english pundits’ potential. And the jury is out on Henderson after watching the U21 championships, compared to his european counterparts he looked naive and mediocre at best. The future is looking less than dynamic and no doubt will fail to deliver as have the last 20 years of premiership football.
What a shocking piece of writing. Meireles was a average performer in a very poor season for Liverpool. He had one good month and scored 5 goals. He has no pace, cant tackle and does not control and influence games like he should, especially in the absence of Gerrard. At 28 he is as good as he is going to be, would he get into a top 4 side? I dont think so!! He was not a Kenny signing, so why should he be forced to keep him if he doesnt fancy him as a player??
Good post, spot on. My thoughts exactly….too many people jump on the bandwagon, like the new short thing, but at the end of the day know nothing about football
Well if this is true Adam has fairly big boots to fill.
Who knows the whole story to know what KD and Comolli are doing? So far there has only been lots of paper talk! I don’t lisyen until it is for sure…
if we get wingers in then we dont need people going missing in the centre of the field. mireles although skillfull goes missing and is not a box to box midfielder. if quality wingers are brought in then you will need solid midifielders to track bakc if the wingers get caught beyond the play after an attack.
Please wake up. You keep repeating this crap.
If we keep Meireles, he will depreciate at approx £6m per year for the next 2 years, so, we pay his £60k a week or whatever plus £100k per week depreciation. I’m sorry but he isn’t a £160,000 a week player or perhaps you wise-guys know better?
He has no pace, cant tackle and does not control games stevie does he was and did nothing until kenny took over he could be next jan molby charlie adam not “adams” we need clichy 10m or a top left back and a winger adam johnson not milner no pace no better than kuyt
Am surprised @ how people compare Meirless an established player for portugal and porto to adams. Not every player will be as physical as adam or as skillfull as suarez but they have their style and contribute their way.
If kenny think we don’t need him, Fine! But does he really have the ability to play @ high level, remember when he was @ celtic.
Finally, its looking like comoli and kenny are out of pace in this transfer window.
do you remember when he was at celtic ? lol you must be the only one who does. he was at Rangers. kenny and comolli will make the right decisions, not newspapers and online moaners on here.
‘Should Raul move on from Liverpool, it will be a sad day’. – No it won’t, Shankly leaving was a sad day, so was Keegan, so was Kenny. Meireles won’t be missed that much, a good month, which really means he had a good game at Wolves and scored a goal which gave us a good win at Chelsea. All this talk of fans ‘up in arms’ if Meireles leaves is utter garbage.
exactly …..
He just a mediocre player…and again, in Kenny we trust
Agree with Dee, Kenny and Comoli out of pace with transfers – as always at LFC. It can be done, look at ManUre 3 top draw signings to cover what they need — New Keeper, New winger and young CB. Need a CM to replace Scoles – sorted.
LFC, desperate for at least one LB and at least two wingers, would also need a CB and a striker.
LFC sign Henderson ? Required?? Linked with Adam, Sissoko either required??? Miss out Young, Payet, Maveraux ALL needed. Where is Contraeo, Enrique, Any top LB ???? Where is the winger ?
Will miss out on Wickham, Mata, Enrique and most targets.
We could have had Sturridge from Chelski when selling Torres (spit) So much for top english talent being top of the list ?
Raul would be no great loss IF we sign top players, like he is. Downing for £20 mil is a joke Henderson for £20 mil is a joke — They are seeing us coming. For the £40mil spent there we could have Mata and Fabio Contraeo — Who’d you rather have next season between those???
couldn’t agreed more
Its ok if Raul leaves but should be done in a proper manner. He had a decent first season, but i think he lacks steel to play in the middle and pace to play on the wing. His best position has therefore been behind the striker, and I do believe we have better options there (SG and LS to mention two) If we sell him know we would get great value for him, but if he is to spend next season on the bench his value vil drop hard.
Regarding who we should bring in I think it is more a matter of who can we bring in that will get us in cl. Don’t compare us to the scum. We are not in the same position… We have to build the team this year to reach fourth, then next year our position in the transfer market will be different. For 20 years we have reached for the sky every season just to be left dissapointed. I think the same goes for the english national team, and the pressure gets to the players and staff and causes them to make bad dicisions to try and live up to the expectations. It is a vicious circle. Now we have a chance to build the right way. One step at a time… Patience is a key word…
YNWA
crazy comments. we could have had mata and coentrao ? do you know this ? that they would join liverpool ? that the clubs would accept the figures you quote ? you insult Downing and then say we should sign Sturridge ….. have you ever watched a football match ? You say we will miss out on our targets ? you mean we will miss out on who the press say are our targets, or who you think should be ….. in that case, thank god, would rather trust Dalglish and Comolli than you and The Sun ……..
Mereiles did ok when given a ‘free’ roaming role. Not tough enough /strong enough, in the tackle to play in the centre of a midfield four. if we want to play Carroll and Suarez as a front two, there is simply no place to ‘carry’ a free-role player. Lucas and Gerrard would clearly be picked ahead of him. So would Spearing, and players we are linked with, such as Adam and Diego, not to mention Aquilani. Given his age, he will have no value in two or three years, so selling him now has to be a sensible policy for a player who never disgraced, but never excelled. He can leave with his head up.
and please, stop writing this rubbish about Henderson for £20 million. He cost £13.5 million increasing to £16.5 million with add-ons if he succeeds. its called investing in the future. the way some of you moan and drone its like listening to united fans.