Kenny Dalglish expressed how important defensive midfielder Lucas Leiva is to the Reds today:
“Lucas will be in next week. We’ll see how he shapes up. Obviously his tournament didn’t go as well as Luis’s did, but he was fantastic for us last season and we’re looking forward to getting him back as well and he should be well rested.”
Much like Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard, the Brazilian is unlikely to be available for Liverpool’s first match of the season against Sunderland on the 13th August because of his participation in the Copa America. Although Kenny says the 24 year old will be back in training shortly, it would be a tough task to get the Brazilian match fit within the next two weeks.
Although I would expect him to start against Valencia on August 6th, only having one pre-season match going into the new season is hardly ideal. It will mean that Dalglish will have to rely on the likes of Christian Poulsen and Jay Spearing to fill in for the Brazilian until he comes back in.
As King Kenny states, Lucas had a fantastic season last campaign, and you could justifiably state that he is nearly as important as the likes of Suarez and Gerrard in Liverpool’s first eleven. With all three absent from the start of the campaign, there is a risk that the Reds could start the season slowly if others do not step up to the mark.
Especially with the Reds having a big test in only their second match of the season against Arsenal at the Emirates, they could go into the fixture a bit disjointed. Players such as Spearing, Charlie Adam and perhaps Jordan Henderson will have to take more prominent roles in helping the club to early season wins, and although all of them do have the capabilities to make the required impact, Kenny maybe slightly worried that the Reds could be caught cold in August, making any plan to hit the ground running this season, very difficult indeed.
Just play Mike Marsh’s team they could beat anyone!
what the heck is going on ? dont they know the turks will take soto being captain as an insult ? and what kind of team is that we are putting out / i am now getting seriously worried we will start the seson with a team not used to each other, there is no excuse for whats going on kenny or no kenny.
arsenal and man u and chelsea are playing their strongest teams and rightly so at this stage – again what is going on !!
I can only assume we’ll see the 1st team in the 2nd half, minus Carroll. This is disappointing – the players need a 90 minute game or else they’ll be getting knackered on the hour mark when the season starts.
Even Roy didn’t get half as much criticism as Kenny is getting for his pre-season quirkiness. It’s like Kenny knows he can get away with it – other managers would have been shot for this.
Interesting point re: Soto, Stan Howard. This should be interesting.
The only reason I can see Kenny playing the dregs like Poulsen, Degen, Insua and Cole is too put them in the shop window to get rid of them. I don’t understand the line up myself as I can’t see most of them being even on the bench. Would always want Liverpool to win and win well, they will struggle with some of the players out there. I like the fact that Martin Kelly is being given the chance at centre half….
Joe Cole always looks like he’s taking giant panic breaths. He has the look of a man severely hampered by chronic asthma and a 40-a-day habit.
Not to be too negative but I’ve got a lot of Italian friends who support Roma and they tell me that Doni isn’t very good (or words to that effect). If we get out of this game with a 3-0 defeat, it’ll have been a good night! I’m joking. But I’m not expecting much in fairness.
Right – who’s gonna be the 1st to tell me I don’t support the club.
Good night all round.
after seeing the line up and then the tactics, i thought horrible hodgson was back – this is not good enough for liverpool fc, i remember liverpool reserves of the 60s and 70s and they would have beaten that team we put out tonight in a canter, and beaten galatasary too.there is no reserve teams now just youth teams and its wrong and it tells. poulson insua degan and a 17 year old playing out of position its a nightmare.
Agree 100% Stan
In fairness we didnt have our first team players for the last 2 games (apart from carrol and kuyt) but regardless the initial optimism for the new season is now turning !!!!
I hope the king knows what he is doing, not that im knocking im or anything i support him 100% but the players on show for the last 2 games getting match-time should have been our first team players who will be starting on the 13th Aug against sunderland.
What’s going on?? where are our multi-million pound signings? why aren’t they getting any time to play? What the hell is going through kenny’s mind?:@
I hate the fact that Insua Degen Poulsen and Aquilani played what is the club getting em fit for another side.
They should all be at home agreeing deals to leave, if Kenny is going to play a second rate side he should have bought in more academy kids, also give them a whole game.
Kenny, most likely, has been smoking dope.poulsen and deggen are not even passable imitations of a footballer. Soto is a joke as well